Howling Love
by xxIndigo
Summary: Haruno Sakura is spying on a criminal lord who has been kidnapping shinobi worldwide, but when this A-ranked mission lands her a chance encounter with an injured and captured Uchiha Sasuke, she must make several very difficult choices.
1. Punishment

**HOWLING LOVE :.  
**

**Chapter One xx Punishment  
**

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The shattering darkness seemed to press in around the motionless captive, choking and clawing at him as it crept in closer. There was no light at all, to the point where if a hand were to wave madly before his face it would have gone completely unnoticed. It was an eerie sort of place, and to make matters even worse, every so often a faint scrabbling would sound out amongst the darkened silence, letting on to the presence of a passing rat or mouse. The temperature of the cell portrayed the feeling of the cramped, little place well, for it was frigid and practically icy. Though it couldn't physically be seen, the prisoner knew all too well that his haggard and strained breathing came forth in the form of little, billowing clouds of white steam.

The man's thin, pale hands were bound tightly behind his arching back with some sort of black chakra cords that suppressed what little strength he might have had left in his tired body. They cut deep into his thin wrists as well, making his fingers ache and swell with insufficient blood supply. His two booted feet were lashed together with a length of the strings as well, preventing all normal forms of movement besides just scooting blindly around in the darkness. This technique, however, was useless, for the cell had nothing of interest on any wall, and the heavily locked door was virtually impossible to open.

The prisoner's mouth was gagged as well by a thick piece of clothe, which had been cruelly tied around the back of his head and through the recess of his mouth. He was incapable of speech, and the only sort of noise he could emit were low, guttural grunts or moans. The fabric itself that the gag consisted of cut deep into his pale flesh, drawing long trails of warm, crimson blood to roll down the edges of his pallid cheeks, and then to drip down onto his battered and ripped white yakuta.

A sudden fit of shivers erupted down the man's spine, and with a very quiet, defeated moan escaped from the blockade in front of his tongue. He struggled to move his knees up closer to his torsu through the binds across his feet, and when he finally succeeded, rested his angular jaw onto it.

He was trapped. He barely had enough energy to change sitting positions, let alone gather the strength and chakra that it would take to escape. He was physically and mentally spent and there was _no_ amount of rest that he could every get in that cramped cell that would ever equal the amount he really _needed_. Never before had he been put in such a hopeless situation, and now that he was in it, he saw only one true way out.

He wanted to die.

To curl up into a tight little ball, as he had so many countless times when he was not but a child, and be whisked away by the cold fingers of death. He was out of the steam that he needed to continue fighting against the entity that kept him so pitifully chained to existence. The man slowly shut the thin membranes of his eyelids and proceeded with a deep inhale, then an equally deep exhale.

A jumble of footsteps sounded from outside the blackened room, followed by a hurried combination of whispering and jeering. The prisoner didn't lift a finger, rather, he didn't even seem to _notice. _He merely continued to sit completely still on that hard, cement floor while his deep, charcoal-onyx eyes were closed in a fauz sort of peace, as if he was doing his best just to ignore the real world. Hell, he was probably just wondering how long it would last.

Without much warning at all, the bolted steel door swung inward, causing a broad spectrum of yellow-orange torchlight to flood about his closed eyelids. Sensing the presence of humans he knew to now be coming forth into the receding darkness, he unwillingly opened them only to shut them quickly again when the bright threatened to blind his unaccustomed hues.

The prisoner blinked rapidly in his fuddled confusion as he scrambled to catch his bearings, only to lose them again when a the back of a gloved hand came crashing into the side of his perfectly unmarred face, sending his already off-balanced body sprawling to the side. He was unable to spit the blood that had started to pool in his dry mouth for the gag covered all forms of opening in and out of it. So in order to keep from drowning in his own cells he was forced so cough and sputter into the gag in a faint hope that the thing would absorb the plentiful liquid.

His plan actually worked, and he succeeded in getting a large portion of the stuff out. He focused his thoughts now on the task at hand: who had hit him? And from where? Unable to wipe the blood that now seeped from the thin gash mark along his cheekbone, he growled lowly, almost ferally. He caught site of his attacker in a heartbeat, and he instantly felt himself subconsciously retreat.

It was his captor.The man who had snagged him away from freedom only a mere week ago. The man was no shinobi; he had stayed hidden and then slipped a sleeping powder into his drink, casting him into sleep while his body was carted off to this _prison_. He hated such cowardice scum, and he would love to be able to take his katana and slice this asshole to bits...

The captive watched silently as the hand began its downward descent towards his face yet again, and he did nothing as it smashed his whole body into the cement wall behind him. Blood was everywhere now, and everything was starting to spin violently around him in sickening circles. He keeled over onto his side as he fought to stay conscious, his charcoal eyes staring blankly up at the ceiling as he sucked in breath. He tried desperately to ignore the pain that pulsated from the wound on his head, his vision beginning to fail as he coughed in another breath.

What was the _point_ of it all?! Through the endless days of his inprisonment, people, usually guards, only opened that door to either torture him or throw a stale hunk of bread at him for food, and it usually wasn't the latter. He would be mercilessly beaten and thrown against the wall time and time again. His captor had said something about needing to teach him "manners" and "respect", which honestly made no sense to him at all. Breaking someone's bones and torturing them until theybarely have the strength to breath is_ really_ a way to teach respect...God... If only there was one, than maybe his situation wouldn't have been nearly as difficult.

He knew for a fact that several of his ribs, three of his toes, and several fingers were broken, and his entire body was littered with countless bruises and cuts. He couldn't take it anymore, it was _breaking_ him. Slowly and surely the stress it was putting on his battered being was starting to tear him apart. He closed his blurring eyes as he felt something hot seep out from beneath them. Hot and wet. He faded out into unconscious just before his mind was able to grasp that it, in fact, was not blood coming forth from his eyes, but tears. Slow leaking tears of his sorrow, tears of his pain, and most of all, tears of his own damn _anger_...

It had been a while since the younger Uchiha sibling had had a good cry.

* * *

"He's unconscious, Katsuo-san, sir." The man was short, obedient, obviously a servant. He quickly stood after having checked the limp prisoner's pulse and stepped back, waiting patiently for orders.

"Perfect." A tall man stepped forward, his perfectly tanned face turning into a broad smirk. His sweeping blond hair was swept back into a twisting braid that he had handsomely tucked into the back of his cloak. He brushed away a few loose strands just before brandishing two large kunai in front of himself, his smirk turning into a more _malicious_ sort of expression.

He was obviously the leader, for instead of just wearing all black, traditional shinobi garments as his servant did, he wore a slick, pale-turquoise buttoned cloak with a pair of white vertical lines running down the length of it, starting just to the left of his chin. A large collection of shuriken and kunai lay tucked into his leather belt, though they were all very different from the two unique kunai in his hands. Those two had large amounts of katakana written all about their surfaces, obviously for some sort of strange jutsu. The man grinned maniacally, tucking another lock of his thick hair behind an ear before stepping confidently towards his fallen captive.

Though he was a man by age, the prisoner before him looked to be just a boy of seventeen, eighteen. He was thin, much more so than when he'd first been placed in the facility, though that was due to the extremely low rations... Regardless of that, he was well sculpted and had a lean sort of muscle that was shockingly beautiful. They were obviously there, but it wasn't to the point where they were bursting forth from his skin; perfect for combat. He had an angular jawline, a sloping and slightly pointed nose, paper-thin lips that were presently held slightly apart, as if he were about to utter something... His raven-black hair spiked out behind his head awkwardly due to his laying position, and his wispy bangs framed the portrait of his alabaster face perfectly, bringing out his intense black eyebrows and the deep charcoal orbs that were hidden beneath closed eyelids. A thin chain necklace hung loose about his neck as well, a little metal red-and-white fan hanging from its end.

"Uchiha... What _malice_ is wrought by that cursed name." It was the leader once more, stepping closer to the limp body with a now crazed expression painted across his face. "Normally I wouldn't lift a finger for the likes of this filth, but seeing as this is the_ last _one... I couldn't just let him rot..."he paused, as if pondering a distant thought before continuing; "I think I will turn him into something more obedient, for he has been free for far too long. A sense of loyalty will serve this brat well. A dog I'll make him! A faithful servant to do as I bid it!" With that he flung the kunai at the young prodigy and screamed some obscure string of words.

A blinding white flash exploded out from the flying kunais, focusing all of its light and energy onto the lifeless body on the floor. It surrounded him and shielded his motionless form from view as it swirled and spun about him, almost as if it were eating him right up from the spot. The master nodded at his servant, and the two of them exited through the door, locking it tightly behind them as they continued down the hall, knowing exactly what the jutsu would do, and thus uninterested in watching the proceedings.

But they had miscalculated. For as the white light began to dissappate, no dog lay in its depths. Instead a wolf lay there; a stunning, jet-black wolf. It's sloping, narrowed eyes were closed in a pained sleep and his long snout moved up and down as he breathed through his slightly damp, kanine nostrils. His long, pointed ears lay flattened along the back of its neck. He was in a slight curl position; his front paws tucked in comfortably beneath his stomach. His long tail lay curled up about his hind legs in almost a protective fashion. The wolf whimpered slightly in his sleep, curling into a tighter ball as he clung to the edges of his forced sleep.

The once famous Uchiha Sasuke had gone from a rogue, S-class missing shinobi whose name was known to almost all holders of a shinobi bingo-book to being a helpless prisoner in an unknown land in practically no time at all. His pride and mountainous ego had tangled him into a web he could no break free of, and though he tried in vain to escape, he only succeeded in falling deeper into the catacomb of his imprisonment. Over and over again he had been stripped of his power, or his essence through cruel methods of torture and beatings, as if his captors wanted to break him. To have him as a trophy in their cells, to show off to all of the other S-class criminal lords that cared to see such a magnificent catch. He had been nothing more than a pet, chained and kept away from the light. Only then had he painfully remembered what a certain gray-haired sensei had said to him so very long ago...

_"In the end, those who seek revenge...it always ends in tragedy."_

For weeks the Uchiha had rotted in that cell, for weeks he had tried in vain to claw his way through the cement walls, to free his hands and feet from their bonds... And as he slept away, completely unaware of the new punishment that had been enacted upon his body, he finally began to feel a sucking feeling in the pit of his stomach. A lost, grueling sort of uncomforting feeling that seeped through his slumbering veins. Though he was unable to distinguish and name the feeling, and regular person would have been able to tell you in an instant.

It was regret. A cold, hard, unforgiving regret.

* * *

First chapter is up! :D So exciting...

I know the description was overbearing, but I PROMISE the next few chapters will have loads more dialogue

And Sakura will make her appearance soon as well, don't you worry.

Please review! Thanks!

-- xxIndigo


	2. Infiltration

**HOWLING LOVE :.**

**Chapter Two xx Infiltration**

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The kunoichi ran a course hand through her streaming locks of bubblegum-colored hair, finding the way her bangs hung think in front of her eyes annoying without the constant aid of her steel-plated Konoha headband. She flicked the strands away with a rushed swipe of a hand and sighed as they slid right back into place.

_God damnit... _The Haruno cursed inwardly as she dove her hand angrily into her weapons pouch and yanked up two little black hair clips. Without any sort os hesitation she pulled back her bangs one at a time and messily clipped them up and away from the shining portrait of her face. A triumphant grin spread across her lips as she closed up her weapons pouch once more and continued on her way.

Though the hair problem had been the only noticeable drawback, the kunoichi had actually switched her entire outfit. She was not wearing an outfit even close to her usual get-up consisting of the red, thick-strapped tanktop, her black spandex, and the pale shinobi-style skirt. No, on this mission she was wearing quite a different jumble of apparel, or rather, quite a different disguise.

Sakura wore a very thin, silky black yukata with a black sash to match that went down to just above her pale knees. Though black wouldn't have been her first choice, it actually looked surprisingly good on her. Underneath she wore a long pair of black leggings that went just past her knees. She wore a pair of open-toed boots that went up to her knees as her last ones had, but instead of just having a series of buckles had bright purple laces winding up the middle. To match the purple, the Fifth had given her a pair of purple studs to put in here ears and several purple and black bracelets. All in all, the Haruno looked pretty important in her all-black outfit. That and the completely out of charater expressions that she had been practicing for hours beforehand would prove to be her aces later on.

The assignment had been simple: A band of S-class criminals had been capturing famous shinobi from across the Fire Country for the past several years. The wereabouts of the captured ninja were unknown, though several reports had stated something about some sort of screaming heard from beneath suspected hideout buildings. One of these suspected hideouts had recently been confirmed as a legitimate criminal base by a band of Tsunade's ANBU, and so the duty of investigating the place by impersonating another criminal lord had fallen to Sakura. She was to impersonate a young Hamasake Hotaru, who apparently had been close to the ringleader of the criminal operation. ANBU had intercepted letters and telegrams between the two, and though the two had never met in person before, they both held a high respect for the other. It was the perfect opportunity for the Haruno to sneak in and sniff around.

Since this was indeed an A-ranked mission and a hard one at that, Tsunade had given her explicit instructions to bail if anything went remotely wrong. There were several reasons behind this order, the most prominent being the risk of blowing cover and putting the whole village at risk. Plus the Fifth couldn't have losing one of Konoha's best medics, but at that time they were running low on the much-needed shinobi.

Sakura bowed her head at the honor, proud that the Hokage had entrusted her with such a job.

The kunoichi then shook her head to rid the thought, pressing on to the task at hand. Even though she already had a full, well-thought-out game plan, she still felt the need to go over it time and time again as she continued sprinting towards the hideout coordinates.

Everything was set up perfectly for her. The criminal lord that she was impersonating had recently been captured by yet another squad of Tsunade's ANBU, and was currently being held by the Interrogation Squad. All of the information that she was relying on had been supplied by this female lord through means of severe torture. The information was one-hundred percent reliable, so honestly, why was the Haruno worrying? All she had to do was get to the darn place, pretend like she was en evil woman who enjoyed watching other people's pain, sneak into the hideout, learn as much information as she could, and then slip out unnoticed.

She let a short grunt escape her lips as the complexity of her mission stretched itself out in her mind. She had a lot of work to do.

Sakura sighed it off, rolling her thin shoulders to lessen the stress that was starting to build up around her joints. She had been sprinting and leaping from tree branch to tree branch for hours, and her sore feet were beginning to ache. She yearned to lean over and give them a good rub, but that would be a delay that she could not afford. She idly wiggled her toes in a vain attempt to get her blood flowing as her swirling cerulean orbs finally taking notice of the trees around her.

She skidded to a halt, her hand already flying to her weapons pouch to grab a kunai, just as a force of habit. She sheepishly retracted her hand, letting out a sort of laughing exhale as she continued on at a walking pace. The kunoichi's had seen no attack, but had noticed the metamorphosis beginning to take place in the sprawling forest around her. The trees were beginning to thin out and grow farther and farther apart, signaling to her that the edge to the seemingly endless wood was getting close. The Haruno sucked in a nervous breath and replaced her tired expression with that of confidence and grace. She needed to appear strong and arrogant, yet still remain cautious and careful.

The Haruno leaped off from the branch on which she had stopped on and landed easily onto the mossy earth below, a slight grin spreading across the etchings of her lips as a small building came into view. It was more of a shack, really. It had a door that looked as if it might just fall of its hinges at any given moment, and a single window on its side that had several long cracks down its panes. The faded white paint had begun to peel which revealed the chewed wood beneath to an extent where seeing the wood was more common than the paint. The kunoichi glanced at the ground beneath her feet, frowning slightly. This little shack was supposed to be some sort of cover, at least that was what she'd been informed. The real hideout was beneath her feet, and her whole body tensed at the prospect of being so far underground.

Without any further hesitation the kunoichi strode up to the door and rapped her knuckles across it, waiting with a curt expression on the portrait of her face as she waited for an answer.

The door immediately opened to reveal a short little man wearing traditional Japanese robes and a long trailing beard. He had a completely unreadable expression on his face, and his beady eyes examined her quickly.

"State your name and purpose." His voice was gruff, slightly on edge. _He's probably here to prevent travelers from stumbling upon the entrance to the hideout...Clever.._

"Hamasake Hotaru. I was told that this is where I am to meet with Katsuo-san." Sakura put a sly edge to her voice to appear more dangerous and coy than she normally would have, and then just for kicks, added a slight smirk to her expression. It felt odd, doing such a thing with her lips... It reminded her of someone...

She snapped to attention as the man bowed his head deeply, opening the door to her. She passed through it quickly, nodding as he closed it behind her. The little man stood cast away the cane he had been leaning on and straightened up, sighing deeply. This time he spoke in a much younger, more youthful voice. Again, a very clever move, to have him appear old. _These criminals were not to be taken lightly._

"It is a pleasure, Hotaru-san. Do follow me, and I'll give you a quick tour of the facilities. Katsuo-sama is at a meeting with one of our prime investors at the moment, but he will most likely be finished by the time we're done. Right down here, watch your step." The man's hands flashed as he made a made a quick series of hand seals. Instantly the configuration of the room began to alter, and several floorboards which previously have been nailed down and together separated to reveal a dark, winding staircase. Somewhere near the bottom a yellow light shone, revealing the start of a cavernous hallway.

The little man nodded, and made his way down the winding staircase, humming a faint tune to himself. Sakura frowned and reluctantly followed, still somewhat nervous at the prospect of being underground.

The hallway itself was dimly lit by a sparse amount of flickering torches that lined its walls. On either side of the corridor were doors, many doors all lined up with about five feet apart from each other. They were all fixed with heavy sets of locks and bolts, and some even went to the length of having giant steel bars stretching across in front of them. Near the tops of each a small, foot by foot bared window would be set, letting the yellow firelight stream into the darkened places beyond. The kunoichi blinked, expecting to here voices from inside the cells... but all was silent. _Where were the people?!_

"I assume that the master explained the state of our prisoners..?" The little man turned to her, raising an eyebrow quizzically.

The kunoichi raised an eyebrow right back at him, crossing her arms firmly across her chest in an attempt to appear like the criminal lord whom she was impersonating.

"Katsuo did no such thing. He said that he wanted to show me himself, so I didn't pry." She followed it with an annoyed, and very girlish little 'hmph'.

"Of course, Milady. I shall explain, then." The man waved his hand at the nearest cell, gesturing for her to look through the bars. The Haruno approached and peered in, her swirling viridian orbs widening slightly as they took in the sight before her.

It was a great lioness, backed up against the corner of the darkened cell. Her enormous head lay on her giant paws and her long tail lashed out behind her rear every so often, as if flicking away an invisible fly. The female's gleaming maroon optis narrowed as a low growl emitted from her throat, followed by a blatant display of her row of giant teeth. Her shimmering golden fur rippled as she moved in an absolutely stunning showing of sheer beauty.. Sakura looked up to the great feline's eyes once more, finding herself frowning as she continued to stare. They looked strangely human, not anything like those of a feline. The kunoichi drew away suddenly and fought to keep her expression from contorting into disgust.

She understood now, and the frightening realization shocked her.

"Ever heard of Shiaku Ayume? That's her. She'd been running around with her malevolent band of thieves for years, thieving, raiding and pillaging, all without consequence. So we caught the bitch and turned her into that." The man grinned maliciously. "We do it with all of our captives; turn them into a creature and then cage them until they learn their..." he paused, fingering his chin thoughtfully, "...Manners. Then we sell them to the highest bidder." The man chuckled again, continuing down the hall at a brisk pace.

"We make the world a better place, and then get paid for it." He added, chuckling to himself as if his words were actually funny.

He stopped suddenly, interrupted by a giant boom sounding out from deep along the hallway. A giant ripping sound followed, and then another thing, this time with a softer sound, landed with a thud. Silence.

And then a high pitched, screeching howl broke the looming quiet and echoed its way faintly down the curving hallway. It sounded lonely, saddened, as all wolf cries usually did, yet this one seemed to hold even more.

The Haruno had heard wolf cries only once in her lifetime, and she'd been nine-years old and at a friendly zoo in the heart of Konoha. It had made her start crying into her mother's arms, just because of how sad the creatures sounded. Of how lonesome and depressing they seemed to be...

A huge jumble of scrabbling and scratching followed shortly after the end of the mournful howl, and the little man in front of her tensed, paused, and then squinted down the passage as he tried to see around the curve of the hall. A yelp sounded, this time louder and much closer than from where the source of the howl had been. A fierce, rippling growl proceeded, and the Haruno stepped back, suddenly afraid of what was obviously coming closer as the seconds flew by.

"Stop him! Stop him! Stop that animal!" A frantic scream, obviously a man echoed out, followed by the sound of several pounding footsteps. Out of nowhere, a raven-black wolf came tearing out from behind a blind corner and came ripping towards them at a break neck speed. It's long, agile legs were a blur as it sprinted and its sleek, obsidian-black pelt was blown back from the sheer velocity of its run. Its normally pointed ears lay flattened against the back of its low-held neck, and every so often one would flick up to listen to the people hurrying along behind him, still out of sight. It's kanine lips were pulled back to reveal rows of sparkling pearly-white teeth, and as if to solidify its superiority above his followers, emitted a low, feral bark. It easily sidestepped the little old man, then all too quickly was right alongside the kunoichi. His eyes were beautiful; deep and charcoal black ,full of a sort of graceful solemnity... They seemed to talk to her, as if pulling her into their endless depths. She recognized them; knew them from somewhere...A faint tinkling of metal sounded as her eyes caught onto the sight of a small chain necklace looped around his great neck; a small red-and-white fan dangling from its end.

_Sasuke-kun._

* * *

Sakura joins the fray. :  
There shall be a lot more dialogue next chapter, don't you worry. :3  
Please review, and I hope you enjoy!

-- xxIndigo


	3. Escape

**HOWLING LOVE**

**Chapter Three xx Escape**

* * *

The creature's eyes, just for a moment, flicked towards hers. Something faint seemed to glimmer out of nowhere in their midsts, and though he did not give her even hesitate as he darted past her, the Haruno knew that he had seen her. The famous young prodigy had made direct eye contact and had recognized her. Sakura found herself looking wistfully after him, stuck on whether or not she should follow in his footsteps.

She mentally kicked herself. She had changed since the days of her childhood. The little petty girl who had have instantly flung herself around the animals neck in a fit of happy sobs had been replaced by a newer, stronger and more independent woman. She gazed after her long lost team mate now with a strange look of contempt, as if his very presence might stimulate the return of her former self.

The wolf scampered on regardless, its large curved claws scrabbling against the cement floor as it tried desperately to manuever away from the people who were chasing him. He skidded to a stop at the foot of the spiraling stairs and emitted a low growl as he heaved himself over the first several. The stone stairs proved to be a much bigger obstacle than he had initially assumed, and he had severely overlooked their sheer steepness.

The Uchiha leaped up several more anyway even as his lean muscles rippled and bulged with the effort. Finally, for now he was but half-way up, he shudderered to a stop, his chest heaving as he fought for breath. His exceptionally long tongue lulled doggishly from his jaws.

The hellish staircase was built specifically to keep the animal prisoners from doing just as he was trying to do; escape. It was fitting that he wasn't able to get over them, but never-the-less he would continue to try. He struck out another paw and dug his protruding claws in deep and heaved his whole body up and over another step. Then another.

He was going to make it. The light from outside was just ahead of him... A few more steps and he'd be free. He placed another paw up onto an even higher step, now breathing very hard. The fact that kanines didn't sweat was making itself quite clear to the Uchiha, for he was having to gasp in breath in an attempt to keep his body temperature at a moderate level...

Just as he was hoisting himself up onto yet another stair, he felt something snap in his foreleg. He blinked in perpetual confusion as if time had utterly frozen. And then all too quickly, his foreleg gave out. His body swayed precauriously backwards...

And then he was falling. He hit a few stairs on the way down, but other than that his free-fall went undisturbed.

With a final crash, the wolf landed with a resounding thud onto the hard ground. He attempted to heave himself up onto his feet once more as he saw the handful of guards appear from down the hallway, but his his previously injured leg buckled dangerously and he collapsed once more with a piercingly high-pitched yelp.

This time he did not get up.

Sakura continued to gaze at the motionless animal. her humble mouth held slightly ajar. Only now was her fumbling mind finally grasping what was happening so swiftly about her. Over and over again in her mind the same thought kept repeating: _This is him. This is him. This is _him_._

It seemed so unorthodix, to meet the man whom she'd chased across the country in search for in such a fashion. To see him in such a foreign state made her feel awkward. She longed to rush forward, to scoop his battered body up into her arms and stroke his soft fur, to tell him that everything would be alright, and that they would would be home and safe soon.

Reality pressed its vexatious head into the situation once more, and the Haruno was again faced with the looming fact: what if the Uchiha didn't want to come with her? What if he didn't want to be rescued? What if he ran away, again?

She didn't want to be the same pathetic and helpless girl she'd been when they were twelve. She had to do something. This time she would make a difference. This time the pesky little Uchiha would not get away from her.

Sakura fought to control her brimming emotions as she quickly inspected the raven-black wolf from afar and gripped the edge of her shirt. Her toes wriggled as she battled against the urge to take a step forward.

A sudden ball of fury seemed to sink into her abdomen. She was furious with this younger Uchiha. He was ruining her entire mission... Everything was going so perfectly. She was going to get a tour of the whole facility, and then have a nice long chat with Katsuo in order to get information and such for her village... She would have socked him right in the nose if he had been human, thus destroying his perfectly unmarred, alabaster face...

Hell.

The Haruno still loved him. She had tried for years and years to put him out and away from her mind, but she just couldn't get away from her awash emotions. She felt an unavoidably strong attraction to this quiet, angsty little avenger. Though he was a wolf at the present time, and thus she was not attracted to his actual _physical_ features, she felt a strong affection towards the boy behind those beautiful, obsidian orbs...

Her expression softened ever so slightly and then sucked in a deep breath as she continued to survey the wolf.

Sasuke was right in front of her, had been overcome by some illegal jutsu, and was hurt. That was her initial assessment. Immediately her medical mind was set into action, and she began to clench and unclench her delicate fingers in anxious anticipation.

The wolf turned his head ever so slightly so that his glinting eyes were looking_ right into hers_. Searching her, questioning her. She felt so uncontrollably vulnerable as he stared critically at her stature, as if he was able to read her thoughts and emotions just by_ looking _at her. She shivered.

The Haruno took a hesitant step forward and then froze when she observed his onyx depths flicking towards her feet and then back up to her face. They narrowed slightly, and the thick fur ruff around his arching neck seemed to bristle as he glared at her venomously. Sakura turned her head to see her tour guide begin to approach followed by the other guards who had appeared moments before.

_Got to think of something...!_ She swore inwardly as she grappled for something, anything, to say.

"He's hurt." the kunoichi informed them simply, turning to the men with her arms crossed. A wide-spread grin blossomed across her lips as a plan began to unfurl in her plotting mind. Fighting and Medical Ninjutsu weren't the only things her shishou had taught her: strategy and careful planning were right up there as well. She was as confident as ever.

The whole lot of them stopped and exchanged glances just behind her, nervous as how they should react. They obviously were unsure of her rank compared to their own, all except for the little man from before, so they were all fumbling rather stupidly for a reply.

"Miss, that is a highly dangerous criminal, just back away slowly--" It was one of the guards, who was now motioning for her to go towards them. A brave little soul, speaking out in front of her excellency like that. Sakura grinned to herself. _They're all just playing around in the palm of my hand...Heh._

Sakura waved the guard off, turning back towards the wolf with an arrogantly playful expression on her face. She was playing her part perfectly.

"This creature is obviously very seriously injured," she continued slyly, twisting a lose lock of her pale-pink hair around a pointer finger. "Since Katsuo-san is going to such _great lengths_ to meet me today, I feel obliged to help him with whatever I can. And seeing as how I happen to be rather skilled in the art of Medical Ninjutsu, I would be _honored_ to be allowed the task of healing this creature." Sakura gave a very un-girlish smirk as the little man and the guards nodded slowly. Some frowned, but the large majority didn't seem perturbed by her offer.

The kunoichi then turned back towards her soon-to-be patient, a very sincerely concerned expression now adorning her face now that the guards couldn't see. She took a tentative step towards her formed team mate.

A deep, vicious snarl ripped out from the throat of the Uchiha, reverberating around the dark corridor in an ominous sort of echo. He followed up with a series of low, feral growls, and then a final bark when she continued to edge closer. He snapped his jaws a few times too, continuing to bristle his rippling pelt throughout his whole ordeal.

Sakura hide the fear that seemed to bubble up from her lungs with each step.

She just to ignore him, hoping that the Uchiha would have the decency not to bite her. Though he continued to shoot her savage sort of glares he did not make any sudden move as if to cause her harm.

Sakura gathered up her now scattering courage and bent over so that her viridian eyes were level with his, then reached out touched an uncertain, quivering hand towards his pointed ear.

The creature watched reproachfully as her hand advanced towards his head. He bent his ear back and away from it, and then scooted away from her quickly. A soft 'hurr' sound came forth from the back of his throat, his eyes still staring at her.

The Haruno, whose hand had pulled back swiftly when he'd moved, slowly began to migrate it once more towards the creature's thick, charcoal pelt. He flinched slightly when she finally touched down, but other than that did nothing in reaction to it. His strangely human eyes just watched her, examining her with the acuteness of the shinobi that she knew to be inside him.

His fur was extremely soft. It was sleek and smooth, and just thick enough so that she could weave her hands through it and completely_ lose_ them. He was warm, pleasantly warm, the kind of living warmth that you just want to wrap your arms around. She held back the urge.

Sakura's hands began to glow a glimmering cerulean as she began to charge up an extensive amount of chakra into them. She had learned how to heal animals and humans, but she had never healed a combination of the two before. She would consider this a _learning experience_, to put it at the least.

She pressed her blue probing-chakra-infused hands up against the creature's hide, this time a bit more forcefully than gently, and closed her eyes as she began a quick examination to assess where and what was injured. This was always a procedure that all medics had to perform before any healing a patient.

Throughout the whole process, the Uchiha just stared at her. Though he had recognized the kunoichi at his flank the moment she had passed across his vision, he was still having quite a bit of trouble really swallowing the fact. Out of nowhere she had come right to his aid, and judging by the utterly perplexed expression that had been oh-so evident on her flushed cheeks, it had just been a mere coincidence that they had run into eachother.

From there a sinking sort of dread filled up his gut as he realized that it had been sheer luck that she had been there during his frenzied prison break. Without her little offer to heal him up, the guards would have been dragged him right back to that god-forsaken cell by his tail. They were ruthless monstrosities, the lot of 'em. He loathed them all, right to their very hellish cores. Though he would never admit to it, he was a bit thankful for that. The Uchiha removed his eyes from the kunoichi slowly and rested his head cautiously onto his great paws, all-the-while flicking his jet-black tail back and forth in a monotonous fashion.

He was _wagging his tail._ He immediately stopped, horrified at himself. He was acting more and more like a stupid animal everyday _fucking_ day. It was _terrible_!

God, the pure, malicious fury that he bent up inside him towards that bastard-son-of-a-bitch who'd turned him into this, this _creature _was unmeasurable through words. The repulsive excuse for a man would die for what he'd done, that he was sure of. He would then burn into the fiery bits of hell itself until he went mad. Then--

He exhaled deeply, laying his prodigious head once more onto his forelegs.

A wolf. He was a fucking wolf; and he couldn't do a thing about it. His attack methods had been slimmed down from his extensive range of ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu into three very simple techniques: bite, scratch, and run like hell. Pretty god-damned useful.

His communication skills, even as meagerly as he had used them when he actually had the ability to speak, were now completely diminished. He could make a large variety of animal noises, but how useful were those when you had the unquenchable urge to curse?

He was interrupted from his diving thoughts as a sudden pain erupted along his flank after his former teammate ran a hand too close to an injured rib. He pulled back his lips and emitted a low, tense growl, though unlike his previous fit of wolf-noises, this one held no venom. It was more of a _'that hurt you idiot'_ sort of growl.

Regardless of whether or not the kunoichi could tell the different between the two growls, she began to move her probing hands away from the area anyway.

It had been ages since the young Sasuke had last seen this pink-haired kunoichi. She'd changed to a phenomonal extent. She wasn't all bubbly and talkative and smily; no. She held herself in a manor that expressed independence and confidence. Her emerald eyes had bloomed from their old grayish-green to a new radiant luminous shade of emerald. They glimmered and gleamed like two jewels set into her rosy face. Her hair had been more well-kept when they'd been genin for she had spent exceedingly long hours as a child grooming herself. Now it looked tousled and dysfunctional, just how a shinobi's hair should be. Her bangs were pulled up and away from her face in a way that Sasuke had never witnessed before...

Almost-pretty. Almost.

Another burst of pain, though this time grit his angled teeth together and ignored it. He grumbled bitterly to himself, flicking his tail impatiently. Sakura had said specifically to the guards that she would heal him, but she sure was taking a damn long time to get to it. The dull throb of his battered body was becoming steadily worse.

The Uchiha, who previously had had his eyes closed in a vain effort to ignore the real world, flicked them open suddenly when he felt a stiff finger jab into the end of his nose. He shot the kunoichi a glare, and continued to do so as even as he realized that she was trying to say something to him. Or rather,_ mouth _something at him. It dawned on him that the guards were still all standing there, and he shot a glare at them before returning his gaze to the kunoichi He stared quizzically at her as she moved her lips slowly, noting on how ridiculous she looked before actually taking time to read what she was trying to get across.

_'Sas...uke?'_ He stared at her blankly for a few seconds, then turned his head and nimbly picked up the Uchiha necklace in his jaws, glancing back up at her to see if she had got the message. She nodded slowly, then bit her lip as if she were thinking hard about something. Then her eyes lit up, and she began mouthing hurriedly again. The Uchiha glanced around her at the guards again, who were all beginning to disperse besides that one little man, and then returned to her moving lips.

_'I am going to start healing now.'_ She finished mouthing the words, and then her hands, which previously had been an electric blue, became shrouded in a hazy green. Instantly, Sasuke's whole body completely relaxed as a comfortably warm sensation pulsated through him from her nimble fingertips. The throbbing pain that had been radiating from several points along his side and along his foreleg instantly ceased as her delicate hand moved over them, and a refreshed sort of strength began to circulate within his rejuvenated veins. He glanced up at the kunoich as her lips moved to form yet another string of words.

_'Follow my lead.'_ Then she held out her hand for him to stay, and like a _fucking_ dog, he didn't budge. It was quite demeaning to have to listen to hand gestures like some obedient kanine to his human counterpart. He huffed his annoyance and took to watching the only member of the opposition left: the short and rather squat man.

The warm sensation slowly left his body as the kunoichi removed her hands to stand up. She stretched her legs lazily and then turned to face the short old man, placing her hands on her hips in a distasteful manor. She was trying desperately to stay in character, yet at the same time the urgency of escape was biting on her heels, and she found a cold sweat starting to break out along her forehead.

"This creature must be cleaned. He has a severe puncture wound on his left hind leg, which pierced the main artery. Along with an extensive amount of blood loss, it is also extremely infected. Do you have a restroom somewhere in this facility?" She raised an eyebrow at the man as he fumbled for something to say. Then, wordlessly, he pointed upstairs.

Perfect.

"Ah, I'll show you to it, if you'd like--" he faltered.

"No need, It shouldn't be too hard to find." With that, she turned towards the wolf, and before giving him any time to protest, hauled him up into her arms. He wasn't nearly as heavy as she'd presumed... actually his alarmingly light weight somewhat concerned her. She chose to think of it later

The Uchiha would have none of this. His pride and ego had already been damaged enough, but to be carried around like a little stuffed animal was far beyond his tolerance level. He began to growl venomously and struggle against her thin arms, trying vainly to wiggle out from underneath her graps.

Yet she continued to hold him in her steady grip, her glowing cerulean depths defiant against his. She was stronger than when they were younger, much stronger. She moved right towards the stairs with a few awkward strides, and then after getting the hang of manuevering around with a live animal in her arms, continued to carry him all the way up the steep steps and right through the little shack. She took all the way outside, at which time she deposited his body right onto the grass beyond.

The Uchiha stood in the light and shook his glossy pelt as he welcomed the warm rays of the sun against his face. His muscles rippling beneath as he took a hesitant step forward, towards the forest before him. The thick smell of pine hung in the air as it wafted about his acute kanine nose. Birds chirped and called, wind rustled through the trees overhead, smal mammals rustled around in the undergrowth.

He was free, he was finally free. The wolf trotted forward, timidly sniffing a nearby bush. He smelled such a flurry of objects around him... It was an odd and strangely exhilarating experience being a dog.

Then he turned to the kunoichi, his great neck arching around as his gleaming hues came to stare at her. He flicked his tail nimbly, his giant paws digging deep trenches into the mud as he stood. Her expression was exactly as he remembered the last time they'd met: soft and smooth, yet filled with an overwhelming sadnessat and just a hint of wary happiness.

The Haruno was just happy to see him; to see her old team mate before her and to be able to just help him. Though the Uchiha knew that she was angry at him for being away for so long, he could see from her expression one very clear thing: she still loved him... Sasuke dug his claws into the dirt, glancing back towards the forest again.

And then he turned on his tail and came trotting right back towards her, his great obsidian eyes gleaming smugly as he brushed against her leg.

_Thank you, Sasuke-kun... Thank you._

* * *

Ughh this is a long one. D: Took me ages to comb through for grammar edits and stuff.  
I'm kind of unsatisfied with this chapter. Originally I wrote it to be a LOT shorter, but I just really didn't like it, so I basically rewrote the whole thing.  
Ah well, it works.

Okay, I have some questions for you guys.  
#1. How do you like this so far? Likes and dislikes. Not too harsh though, please. :  
#2. Do you have anything that you might want to have happen later along in the story? I've got the majority of this all planned out, but if you have a good idea thatI like, I might just add it in. You never know.  
#3. I've been working my ass off to get these updates up as soon as I can. Would you guys get mad if I took a day off-or-two just to rest my creative muse?  
#4. Errrr, you guys saw Prince Caspian, right? I just got a big poster of Ben Barnes' face ON MY WALL. Yeah, pretty cool. (Wait...that wasn't a question... o3o;; )

Well, I'm getting on a plane tomorrow for a big softball tournament in Utah, so I'll have a good three hours to get another chapter finished during the flight. So hopefully it'll be up by tomorrow night. : Wish my luck in the tournament!

Please, _please_ review? ;3 3333 Thanks!

-- xxIndigo


	4. Journey

HOWLING LOVE :.

Chapter Four xx Journey

The Haruno watched as the creature padded smoothly towards her, the simple beauty and grace that seemed to utterly fill each and every loping step drawing her twinkling gaze. His jet black pelt seemed to ripple as he moved, the setting evening sun casting a shimmering orange glow across his hide.

The younger Uchiha had finally made up his mind. After all of those years of chasing, all those years of trying to drag him, he was finally coming willingly. He had made the choice himself, and that simple fact was enough to send the kunoichi careening with her bubbling joy. He was with her. She had done it, she'd convinced him to come back. She'd saved his life, and he was_ coming with her_.

The great Uchiha had chosen to sacrifice the swimming freedom that had burned so fiercely in his eyes before for a life of borders and boundaries inside the walls of Konoha. Though she felt immensely happy about that fact, she couldn't help but feel a pang of surfacing guilt. Did she have the right to keep him from the rest of the world? Did she have a right to tether him down back in the village, to subject him to the harsh forms of punishment and interrogation that awaited his return?

She'd seen that dancing twinkle in his eyes when he'd first sauntered towards the forest. That fierce sense of freedom and independence that had emanated from his very being like a fiery aura. They were the eyes of a being who knew what it meant to be truly free, eyes that knew what it felt like to be free of all bonds and other humanly attachments. Did she have the right to take that away from him?!

Sakura shuddered the thought off, replacing her slightly down-casted expression with a genuine grin. Greed had won the battle over her mind. For once she was thinking of her own damn feelings. If the Uchiha were willing to give his freedom up just like that, than she would gladly abide. No need to change his mind.

The Haruno loosened the fists that her thin fingers had formed, sighing heavily as she knelt down beside the Uchiha prodigy. She stared into his eerily stunning eyes thoughtfully, fighting the sudden urge to give him an affectionate pet behind the ears... She bit her lip, her cheeks then turning a delightful shade of red. Oh god, she wanted to _pet_ him.

Sasuke stared at her critically, tilting his head slightly to the side as he watched her expression contorting. A low growl, void of all real venom, emitted from his throat as he discovered the source of her sudden change.

Sakura was suddenly giggling. For the first time in ages the hard shell she had so carefully pieced together came tumbling down around her. This whole situation, this whole pointless mission, the stupid expression the wolf before her had plastered onto his black face...

It was amusing. Just simply amusing.

Her laughter bubbled up from her throat as she clutched at her side. Tears leaked from her eyes as she fought them back. The chuckles finally came to a trickling stop as she moved to stand up, wiping her eyes daintily. It felt good to laugh like that, as much as the Uchiha had disliked it. She exhaled deeply, replacing her grin with an expression of hardened determination.

She cracked her knuckles ominously, her plan sparking to life across her face. Sasuke heaved himself onto his feet, broadening his stance slightly as he prepared for the journey he knew would commence shortly. His eyes however did not falter at all from the powerful gaze which he had directed at her.

His eyes were studying her, searching her expression and her position for some hint of her forming plot. His eyes were so hauntingly serene as they examined her, flicking from one inch of her body to the next without ever truly stopping... She felt quite exposed with him looking at her so intently, though she did nothing to show it

Sasuke remained completely silent. He sat such a impassively unmoving position that for a moment he almost looked like a statue. His fur would then blow his cover when it fluttered lazily about his frame due to the passing breezes. His eyes suddenly shifted into a new sort of expression, now with a different sort of sparkle. They seemed smug; But smug about what? Sakura raised an eyebrow quizzically but didn't comment.

The Uchiha was as arrogant as ever, apparently.

The kunoichi couldn't help but smile. A warm, genuinely happy grin that spread from rosy cheek to rosy cheek, lighting up her face. Her viridian orbs twinkled as he reached out as she pulled her jet-black gloves tighter around her hands. She was still having trouble grasping the fact that the afamed Uchiha was next to her, but she wasn't about to let that show.

And besides, it was time for them to leave.

The Haruno turned swiftly towards the trees to her left and took off, wind whipping through her hair as she sped off. The wolf watched her critically for a moment before loping after her at a steady pace. They started off at an easy pace, and then gradually built up speed until they weren't far from a full-out sprint. Both of them were in perfect shape, and thus hadn't any problem with keeping up.

The kunoichi had her lips pursed in deep thought, her expression that of thorough concentration. Every so often she would warily glance back, just to make sure that the midnight-black animal was continuing to follow her. The Uchiha would be trotting easily at her heels at every glance, his expression blank and unreadable. Sakura groaned inwardly, wondering why she even bothered. If he did chose to stop tagging along there wouldn't be a thing she could have done about it. It would be like finding a needle in a haystack, finding such a dark-colored creature in the impending darkness. Sakura bit her lip irritably, running a hand through her silky, bubble-gum hair.

That playful twinkling in the creatures eye, the gleeful expression that had danced across his wolfish face... No, that was a look that hadn't painted itself across his features in a long time. The familiar solemn frowns and the conceited smirks hadn't seemed to have vanished from his expression library, though whether that was because his long snout didn't permit it or he hadn't a reason to was still unknown to her. She hoped it was the latter.

The brambles and roots around them proved to be quite a challenge to avoid, for they seemed to grow closer and closer together the further into the forest they traveled. The kunoichi really couldn't think about anything but avoiding them now, so she ahd to abandon her wandering theories for the time being as she leaped over and around the things in her way.

Sasuke, regardless of how difficult the obstacles around him seemed to be unpreturbed. His legs were blur as he trotted easily through the trees, having no problem whatsoever avoiding the twisting roots and branches. His expression was serene, uncaring, and deep in thought. His liquid onyx eyes gleamed as he ran, enjoying the boundless freedom of his speed without making a sound...

He had an overload of things to roll around on his tongue, and quite frankly he was glad the Haruno wasn't talking to him. He had fully expected the Haruno to be more or less the same as before; all chatty and annoying and weak... Yet she said and did nothing remotely similar to these behaviors, and he was glad. He was not at all in the mood for listening to mindless babble when he hadn't the power to tell her to_ shut the fuck up..._

The two of them continued like that for a time. Running and running through the trees without stop, for hours. Miles and miles passed by; endless trees and bushes streaming past them as they went. The evening was quickly turning into night as the pinkish-orange glow of the sky began to fade into a deep purple. Though both of them were too headstrong to stop, they both were utterly exhausted. The wolf's panting was heavy and haggard, while the kunoichi had sweat dribbling over every inch of her body.

It was a mindless sort of run. Neither thought about where they were going, only that they continued forward. Like well-oiled machines they pressed on through the night.

The Uchiha was so deep under that he almost slammed his snout right into the kunoichi in front of him, who had inexplicably crashed to the earthy floor at his feet. He swerved quickly, narrowly avoiding a tree as he dug his paws in for an emergency landing. His ears stood straight up in his sudden alarm, and his steps were filled with a nervous sort of zip. He nosed his way to her, his liquid obsidian eyes tightening as he saw her.

She lay on her stomach, her face buried behind the arms she had crossed in front of it. Her cotton-candy hair was splayed everywhere about her head like a messy pink halo, framing the contours of her hidden face perfectly. She was growling a string of inaudible mutters under her breath, and then every so often would raise her voice to mutter a _very_ comprehend-able curse.

She seemed to be avoiding looking at anything but her arm; shutting out the injury that she knew to be present... The Uchiha stole a glance at the kunoichi's leg, his expression tightening at the sight awaiting him. Her booted right foot had gotten snagged in a snarled and twisted root. The leather of the shoe had ripped and torn around her heel, revealing a very grotesque looking ankle. It was bent at an awkward angle, and there seemed to be a fair amount of blood pooling around the spot as well.

A compound fracture. The kunoichi mumbled another rope of incorherent groans before twisting around to get a good look at it. She swore heavily when her gleaming emerald eyes really took it in, and she immediately tore her eyes away from the spot. She was biting her lip hard to keep from the burst of anguish that lay in waiting just beyond her lovely pink lips.

"Fuck, fuck_, fuck_..!_"_ Sakura swore loudly, squeezing her eyes shut in a vain attempt to block out the pain.. The Uchiha glanced at her foot once more, then averted his gaze into her eyes to study them. Though his expression was pallid and bland as always, it was comforting to know that he was next to her. That the young prodigy was waiting with her, sitting protectively across from her, statue still. She managed to roll over, though without a couple moans of pain, so that she could really assess the injury.

Though her boot hid it from view, the crimson liquid rolling down the black leather let on to the fact that the bone definitely had broken through skin. It would take over three fourths of her chakra at full capacity to heal, and was beyond her ability at the present time. She just didn't have the energy to do that. Her expression melted into that of careful defiance, and her pink lips turned into the most stoic smirk she could muster. What she needed to do was simple: get some rest. Call it a day and get a camp set up. They needed to get some food and sleep.

The wolf in front of her had an expression that questioned her sanity. She waved him off.

The kunoichi grunted loudly as she shifted her weight onto her good ankle, pain shooting up her bad one even as she did her best to keep it still. With a great amount of effort she hauled herself up onto one leg, leaning heavily on a nearby tree to keep upright. Sasuke sat very still, watching her with the utmost curiousity. Obviously he didn't believe she could pull it off. She was intent on showing him that she could, which fueled up her incentive to get up faster.

There was a little clearing just a few yards forward with enough room to sleep and put together a fire. It would be perfect, all she needed to do was _get_ there...

The Haruno took a staggering hop forward, pitched slightly to the side, and then regained balance quickly when she struck out her hand to the next waiting tree. Her expression continued to contort with pain, though she made sure not to make eye contact with the wolf padding patiently behind her. Each hop, each little jump was strained. Her whole leg now throbbed, and when she cleared the line of trees she gratefully let her body crumple to the ground.

The Uchiha perked up his ears in alarm and trotted to her side, staring at her critically when he saw her pain-free expression. He had thought she had fallen from the pain, not from her lazy unwillingness to take the time to seat herself properly. She smirked at him again and pushed away his inquiring snout with a shove of her hand. He growled lowly before stalking off to sit a few feet away, his expression set into that of faux pouting.

She waved him off, sighing deeply as she let herself rest for a moment on the grassy earth. It felt good to be still, just for a moment. But there was much to do, and it was getting dark fast. Sakura exhaled deeply as she sat up, completely ignoring the pain in her foot as she wrenched out a sleeping bag from her backpack. Her hands squeezed the silky fabric affectionately, feeling a sort of comfort radiating from its stitches.

She slipped off her bag and weapons pouch soundlessly, then removed the fragile clips from her hair. Next her one remaining boot, and then, finally, she wormed her way inside her sleeping bag. Her expression relaxed as the warmth surrounded her, and a sigh of relief swelled out from behind her lips. It felt amazing to be surrounded by the thick fabric, to be completely enveloped in the familiar scent of her own blankets. She snuggled in deeper, completely ignoring her throbbing pain.

It was completely dark now, though it surprisingly didn't bother her. She'd never been one to enjoy spending nights alone in the woods. Yet knowing that Sasuke was near her gave her a sense of security. A small smile blossomed across her lips from beneath her blanket as she gazed up at the glittering stars above their heads.

The kunoichi turned her attention to her back once more and jammed her hand inside her bag to remove a matchbox. She pulled a single match out and waved it in front of her to catch the Uchiha's attention, knowing full well that the wolf standing across from her could see it clear as day.

"Can you go find some firewood? We need a fire." She glanced up at him, knowing even in the dark that he was glaring at her. He'd never been one to obey demands, no matter how necessary. She rolled her eyes. She would have done it herself, but given the circumstances she didn't really want to move. It was unfathomable to her that he would just do it, but just to put it into perspective she added:

"I can't really cook our food without it."

That got him moving. With a grudging _'huff'_ the wolf heaved himself onto his agile legs and silently melted into the surrounding darkness, gone from sight within seconds. Sakura felt suddenly vulnerable now, with him gone. She couldn't move, what if something attacked her? What if Katsuo caught up to them? What if some wild animal attacked her? Or bandits? Or--?

Her thoughts were drowned out when she heart a faint rustle, and then a twig snap. She froze, her emerald eyes darting around the darkness as she vainly searched for the source, fear drilling down her spine. And then she saw a pair of glistening eyes, staring at her. She whipped out a kunai from her weapons pouch, brandishing it in front of her as she noticed that they were getting bigger, getting_ closer_...

And then she heard that familiar _'huff'_ radiate from the spot, and the owner of the eyes, the Uchiha, was trotting back to her side. She breathed a sigh of relief and returned the kunai to its previous location, her heartbeat fluttering. The Uchiha eyed her doubtfully before he dropped a jumble of sticks in front of her open hands and then sat back on his haunches, waiting.

Sakura arranged the sticks appropriately and struck the match. Light burst forth from the tip, blanketing the clearing in its miniscule amount of light. She touched the thing to one of the providing sticks, and watched as the flames leaped up onto the small bundle. The wolf nudged another large branch into it as well, and pretty soon they had a small campfire going.

The kunoichi propped herself up on her elbows, humming a faint tune softly as she opened up her bag once more and produced two things of instant ramen. Though she had initially planned to eat both of them herself over the course of her mission, there was a town a little ways ahead that they'd need to stop at anyway, so she could stock up on food there.

The kunoichi grabbed a small pot from inside her bag as well and filled it carefully with the water from her canteen, then stuck the whole pot lazily into the air above the fire. The wolf eyed her critically before laying himself out in front of the fire, his head rested upon his paws. They lay like that for a while, waiting impatiently for the water in the hovering pot to boil.

When it finally did start to bubble the kunoichi swerved it over towards the two things of instant noodle and poured the liquid evenly between the two. Then she placed the lids back over the containers. The sweet smell of the noodles filled the air as the hot water began to cook them up, and even the sullen wolf across from her seemed to perk up as its scent wafted up through the trees.

Finally the kunoichi believed the noodles to be ready, so she flicked off the lid for one and poured the contents into the now empty pot. She passed it over to the wolf before whipping out a fork and diving into her own ravenously. The wolf eyed the pot for a moment, an amused expression playing across his face as he looked at it. The original noodle container would have been too skinny for his snout to fit into, but this was the perfect width. Though the noodles smelled delicious, he couldn't help but wonder if his animal stomach would be able to digest it.

How would his kanine body handle the human food? His mind wandered precariously to the looming outcomes, though he quickly shut them out. He was too damn hungry to care about that, right then. So without any furthur hesitation he stuck his whole head into the pot and ate.

* * *

Sorry I took so long for this one. I thought I'd have time to update during my tournament, but unfortunately I did not. Sorry.  
We ended up getting first in our bracket, which was really cool. : We got cool little plaques and everything, it was all very exciting.

I've got some more questions/comments/whatever for you guys to read/respond to:

1. Should this story have a happy or sad ending? I've got two endings set in my head already, and I can't decide between the two. D:  
2. Have you guys ever read Twilight? I just got hooked... It's amazing. EDWARD CULLEN is my new HERO. Heh, Sasuke-kun's got some competition. xD  
3. I also just got hooked on that TV show "Heroes". It's pretty addicting, my favorite character would probably have to be Peter because he's all broody and has the coolest power. Hiro-kun is second just because he's hilarious. :3  
4. Do any of you guys make AMVs? I've got a request! :3 "SasuSaku -- I Dare You to Move by Switchfoot" I'd love you forever if you made it!

That's about it! I'm at another tournament all next week in Fresno, California but I'll try to update when I get back.  
Please review! Thanks!

-- xxIndigo

* * *


	5. Nightmare

**.: A HOWLING LOVE :.**

**Chapter Five xx Nightmare  
**

* * *

A single orange spark shot up into the crisp early-morning air, hissing and fizzing its way skyward until it came to an abrupt stop and began its suicidal plunge towards the ground once more. It hit the frost-covered, earth floor and gave a short little sizzle before its greedy-red color was consumed by an ashy gray. It's source, a large, jumbled pile of glowing coals, spit up a few more of these sputtering flares before finally settling down into to a low symphony of crackles. The once roaring campfire had indeed shrunk since its initial creation, though the heat that radiated from its center hadn't at all faltered. The hearth filled the clearing in which it was held was with a friendly, red-orange glow and doused the place in a thick blanket of smoky warmth.

The two individuals who dwelt by the hearth were indeed grateful for what the fire had provided during the night.

Another lone spark snapped its jaws loudly as it was spewed up into the air, and almost instantly a pair of gleaming, liquid-obsidian eyes shot open. Though the owner had only been conscious for half a second, the intense gaze that radiated from the hues were eerily aware and intelligent, as if they had just been waiting to snap to life during the many hours of the night. The wolf flicked his ears forward as he stared dejectedly at the fiery little particle as if began its fall, his eyes glinting as it finally hit earth.

The canine had been curled rather comfortably about the fire with his paws and tail tucked in to form a protective ball, and he was a bit grouchy with the irritable little flare that had so rudely awakened him. The Uchiha would have preferred another few hours, then at least he wouldn't have to make up an excuse for the bad-moods that he always associated with his early-morning wake-ups. He sighed warily and idly lay his great head atop his large, jet-black paws almostr in a defeated fashion. His ears flattening against the back of his furry ruff as his eyes began to slide shut once more; all to eager to sleep once more.

His onyx orbs shot open once more when a loud, anguished moaning sound reached his folded ears. He sat bolt upright, ears tilted forward now, fur on end, claws extended, teeth set to bare; ready to stand at a moments notice. Everything in the clearing was still in the clearing, and he felt no prescense lingering in the surrounding darkness. His gaze flickered around the campsite regardless, daring the producer of the moan to show themselves.

Then his human companion gave an agitated stir inside her turquoise-green sleeping blankets as her soft face twisting into an expression of pain. Another moan erupted from her pink lips, followed by another string of rustles from inside her blankets as she tossed and turned. The Uchiha rose to his feet and cautiously approached her writhing form, eying her soft closed eyelids as he came to the steady realization that she was still asleep.

Was she having a _nightmare_?

The Uchiha sidled up next to the kunoichi, unsure of how to proceed. Should he wake her up? Give her a nudge? Just let her be? He seated himself down beside her while pondered he, watching her as she began to mutter something low and inaudible between moans.

The murmurs became faster paced, louder, and then suddenly fully-comprehendable words were bubbling forth from her mouth, and water had begun to roll down the pale edges of her cheeks from her closed eyelids. Tears? Was she _crying_?! He blinked in his frustration and ground his teeth together bitterly.

"No... No, no, _no_..." she moaned, tossing her head uselessly in her thick sleep. The wolf touched his cold nose to her open palm, watching her cautiously. She stopped her restless stirring and her mumbles began to quiet. Her pained expression lightened slightly, and her sobs ceased. though a single tear was left to travel the length of her face. It rolled down her smooth, rosy cheek slowly, carefully... And then she murmured something so quietly that the Uchiha had to strain to catch it.

"Naruto-kun...I _beg_ you...bring him back..._please_.."

Then she rolled onto her side and was silent, her back to him. The raven-black wolf remained motionless on his haunches, his lupine expression pallid, blank, void of emotion. His eyes seemed dull, far-away, lifeless. He stared at the woman right in front of her, concentrating on the gentle rise and fall of her side as she breathed, watching her long, loose strands of rosy-pink hair cascading down the length of her sleeping bag... A lost sort of feeling was swirling about in his distant expression, like he was _drowning_. Like the air around him had turned to thick, luke-warm water, and the air that he so desperately needed to breathe was being ripped from his lungs as he sank deeper. He couldn't breath, he couldn't move. It was surrounding him, pressing in on him, drowning him. He was fighting to get away, but he only sank deeper as it rose high above his head. He tore at it with his claws, snapped at it with his teeth, but it continued to swallow him.

Then he looked at the kunoichi. Her expression was serene now, happy. Her thick, rose locks curled about her face, framing her perfectly unmarred skin. Her petite little nose, her full lips, the feminine curve of her jaw, the sweet smell of intoxicating lavender and cherry-blossoms, with that little pinch of vanilla that wafted up around his nose... And then suddenly he could breath, and the thick feeling in the air around him lifted.

The wolf flicked his gaze around suspiciously as the world regained its usual composure, fighting back a growl that urged to ripple past his teeth. Maybe it had been a weird dream, or some illusion brought on by lack of sleep. Perhaps he was just crazy. He raised an amused brow at the prospect, and, too lazy to wander back to his previous sleeping spot, just lay down where he stood. He carefully tucked his paws under his belly and then wrapped his tail around himself, then lay his great head upon the earth and closed his eyes, exhaling deeply as his body rushed to meet with the much-needed rest.

As he faded out of consciousness he was dimly aware of a smooth arm gently wrapping around his ruff and thin, delicate fingers burying into his thick pelt. A small twitch of a smile flickered across his wolfish lips before he was out.

* * *

It was a quick morning. There was much to do before they were to set off once more, and because the male companion hadn't the opposable thumbs necessary for completing most of the tasks, the majority of them fell to the female. The cooking, the cleaning, the packing; well, you get the picture. The Uchiha grudgingly sat there, glaring around the clearing with resentful bitterness towards his completely inconvenient body. He ate the small portion of breakfast that she provided for him only because his stomach was gnawing at him for sustenance, though he would have much rathered just ignoring her in his sulking.

The kunoichi healed her ankle without too much problem, and though her subtle little grimaces and flinches were anguished and uncomfortable to watch, it was over quickly. The wolf had raised an eyebrow at her completely unmarred ankle before shrugging off her little feat as if it were nothing at all. He had then trotted easily towards the edge of the clearing, putting on a show of eagerness to get moving.

The Haruno had glared at him profusely before shouldering her bag and flitting after him, slightly annoyed at how he had so easily belittled her technique. She, however, said nothing about it, choosing to instead give him the cold shoulder. She really was just interested in his reaction, for she during all of her genin years had never once tried it. As they sped through the trees, she with her light, gazelle-like bounds and him with his long, predator strides, she watched him. He stayed just ahead of her now, and the kunoichi couldn't help but wonder if it was because of her earlier fall. If the reason for him to go first was so he could watch out for coming dangers and such...

Sakura felt a strange little feeling bubbling up into her chest. A light, sort of care-free feeling that was strange and alien to her. She lightly fingered the deep canyon of her throat, her breath catching there as she mentally explored the oddly pleasurable sensation. The feeling of being protected. Of having someone watch out for her, the feeling of having another being care for her own safety. She felt the corners of her lips turn up into a smug smile as she ran, suppressing a giggle.

Just the thought of the Uchiha caring for anyone but himself sent chuckles flying past her lips.

The wolf before her cocked a quizzical ear, though didn't turn. She shrugged to herself and then sprung easily after him, trees continuing to blur past them in their haste.

* * *

They reached the nearest town in the late afternoon, approximately six hours of travel.

They stopped just along the outskirts of the place, choosing to rest for a few moments before continuing. Though the actual area that the smidge of civilization took up was miniscul, the place didn't have any lacking in the population department. It was a bustling little place, cramped with shops and houses and inns. The dirt road that ran through its center was crowded with people, the throng so thick that you had to push and shove to get to your destination. It was a cute town, a homely place. It didn't look like they'd have any problem finding a place to stay and eat.

The duo surveyed the town for a time, debating on how to go forth into the fray. The Haruno already had her emerald eye on a little motel towards the center of the town which had a nice little grocers situated right next door. She also needed to stock up on some healing balms and herbs, for she was running dangerously low after healing herself and her companion. There was a little medicine booth a little ways down the road, which she intended to stop by at as well.

Sakura glanced sideways at the creature to her left, mulling over how to get him through the throng of people. He went up to the thigh on an average person; not quite tall enough to be seen. People would slam right into him, and he could be _trampled_ or worse... She found her heart sinking as her mind whizzed through all of the possible outcomes.

As she stood, gazing despondently out over the town, she didn't even register the approaching individual until she was within striking distance. The kunoichi's training kicked into action as she snapped to attention, her hand already flying to her weapons pouch, even before she even saw who the stranger was. Her hand froze just above the opening flap to her bag, ready to spring it open at a moments notice.

The woman was older, hunched over, with gray frizzled hair pulled up into a disheveled lump on the top of her misshapen head. Her old face was shriveled with age and wrinkles, her movements slow and shaky, yet her electric blue eyes seemed to contradict the weakened state of her body with their lively bit of flair. In her hand was a long, magenta-colored leash, at which the end was tied a tiny, little excuse for a dog.

A chihuahua. A wee little kanine creature that was small to begin with, but even more dwarfed compared to the hulking Uchiha that stood before him. The little black-and-vanilla colored creature gave a pathetic little yip that really sounded more like a pitiful mouse squeak than any sound a normal dog might make and skittered excitedly over towards the wolf, his tiny little limps shaking as he moved. His buggy eyes stared up at its jet-black, kanine cousin with a look of extreme awe. He let escape another faint yip, and then his tiny little twig of a tail started wagging frantically.

Sasuke seemed rather perplexed. He towered over the little midget, his ears tilted forward, his great ruff fanned out about the neck, his tail held up in a superior position. His gleaming obsidian orbs trained in on the little pest, with a look that seemed to be a bit confused. Stuck, rather, between whether to take this new creature as either an annoying pest or perhaps as his prey.

Sakura glanced up at the old woman with the leash, her emerald orbs questioning. What was this woman_ thinking_? Her precious little dog was going to get eaten!

"I hope you don't mind miss, but my little Ponky-kins just _loves_ to play with bigger dogs. I've been _trying_ to train the dear boy to romp about with puppies his own size, but my _sweetums_ just won't listen." The old woman's voice was thick and sugar-coated, with a slight British accent cutting on some of the vowels. Her pruney old face contorted into a very fake-looking smile before she gazed down at her little pet.

Her expression than morphed into one of horror.

Sasuke had stood up from his previous sitting position, and was standing over the pitiful little creature with his fangs bared in a menacing growl. His claws were unsheathed and prominently displayed. His fur rippled as he let loose another harsh growl, and the little dog beneath him backed up a bit, his tail between his legs. Honestly, the chihuahua looked as if it were about to piss right where it stood.

The woman sputtered wordlessly, scooping up her precious little pup in her arms as she pointed accusingly at Sakura and the wolf.

"How dare you let your mangy _mutt_ treat my little darling like that. Shame on you! You better buy that _disgusting_ half-breed a muzzle and a bloody choke-collar or I'll, I'll _sue_!" The woman's face was bright red with rage as screamed out her rant. Without warning the woman lashed out her one free hand towards the Uchiha and yanked him by the scruff of his neck and pulled his surprised body forward. Then she ripped out her bright pink leash and fastened it around his thick neck and pulled it tight. Then she released his ruff and shoved him off, leash in hand.

This all happened in about a second flat: The Uchiha was leashed.

The woman shoved the leash into the Haruno's hand and then turned on her heels and strode back towards the town. "Keep the leash, it's worth it to keep that dangerous mutt from getting loose," she shot back before disappearing into the crowd.

Sakura stood there with her mouth hanging open. Sasuke stood with his eyes still wide with shock. The bright pink leash hung between them.

And then the kunoichi was laughing. Tears were spilling down her cheeks as she nearly crumpled to her knees, clutching at her sides as she continued with her infectious guffaws. The wolf growled lowly, sitting back on his haunches with an irritable expression.

The laughing continued, and now the Haruno really was on the ground with her cackles, the leash still in hand. Even the Uchiha was able to let an amused smirk slide across his features as he watched this girl and the sing-song laughter than spilled from her throat so intoxicatingly...

The Uchiha sighed and tossed up his head towards the orange-purple sky, his expression the closest thing he could muster to a smile.

* * *

What's 'zat? An update? Wow Rainy-poo, you've really outdone yourself. (Rain's my nickname in case none of you guys caught that. ;D )

I could come up with a bunch of excuses for why this is so late, but I'm afraid this time its really just due to my infinite laziness.  
Plus I have re-discovered the magical world of Harvest Moon, and I've actually got Leia to green heart level! WOO! /end-of-randomness

Thanks to **The Only Sane One **for the leash idea. xD At first I was going to stay away from having too many funny scenes, but I could not pass that idea up. Thanks a bunch! :3 333 ...I do apologize for my poor job of describing it, though...

Uhhhh, did you guys read BREAKING DAWN?! Oh my GOODNESS I won't spoil it for you guys up I thought it was really good!! Lot's of EdwardXBella action. :3  
And secondly SEASON THREE OF HEROES IS COMING OUT SOON. Yay! More Peter. And Hiro. Lovely. x3

So I'm definitely going with the happy ending for this story, you guys all seemed to really want that. xD I will make another sad fanfiction after I wrap this one up if you are in need of an uber-depressing read just stick with meh here. xD

Okay, now I have a question for you guys. As I've said before, I've got the majority of this plot already mapped out. But the actual amount of chapters I spend on each part depends on how much you guys want me to. So would you guys like more romance, more fighting/action scenes, more funny scenes, more what? Suggestions please ;3

Please review! And thanks for reading!

-- xxIndigo

* * *


	6. Shifter

.: A HOWLING LOVE :.

Chapter Six xx Shifter

* * *

The little hotel that the kunoichi had chosen arched elegantly between two small, shabby-looking vending operations; a pearl amongst a few old pebbles. It had an old, Victorian style to the newly-painted woodwork, what with the arching doorway, the two thick pillars straddling each side of the entrance, and the beautiful layering of the shingled roof. The building was mainly a sterile white color with a deep, sky-blue lining. Windows upon windows lined its side, most of which then blocked with creamy-vanilla, silk curtains.

To the right of the main entrance stood a nice little wooden sign reading the establishment's name: _The Traveler's Inn_. Beside it was painted a pair of leather hiking boots, both splattered crazily with painted mud. Underneath the title, sprawled out in messy red ink, were the words: "We Allow Pets" with a corny little smiley face scribbled beside it.

Haruno Sakura stood with her hands on her hips, staring awkwardly up at the motel with a slightly raised brow. At her side was the raven-black canine, who stood with a very discontent expression etched on his wolfish features as he glared critically up at the building. They both were in need of entering, for they were half-starved and in need of showers, (well a bath in Sasuke's case,) and the ability to sleep in a warm, soft bed also seemed pretty nice.

Sakura, however, was nervous about waltzing in with a wolf at her heels.

Would they allow _wolves_? Or a single wolf? Being honest, the Uchiha looked like anything _but_ a tame, house-hold pet to be allowed indoors. He looked feral, his fur un-brushed, thick, and tousled as it was. As if to agree with this thought the Uchiha let a low, submissive growl curl up from his lips.

Sakura glanced sideways at the creature, flashing him a warning expression. She then spoke quietly, so as not to arouse too much suspicious from the passing villagers.

"Best behavior, okay? Or I might have to break out the leash." She giggled at the last part, her little failed stab at humor amusing her to great lengths, though she only succeeded in making the Uchiha's expression to contort into a mortified look of resentment. She beamed broadly, completely ignoring his stale glare before taking off in confident strides toward the big double-doors of the inn.

The woman behind the front desk regarded them with a quizzical expression, her tight eyebrows raised as she surveyed their striding entrance: average-height woman with bubble-gum pink hair with a very large black wolf padding behind her. It would have been a surprising sight for any normal human being, but somehow this strange woman in the lobby didn't seem at all phased by the sight of the duo. She actually looked a bit bored. The Haruno mused silently to herself on what the woman must have seen prior to their own appearance that would a wolf look so nonchalant, though she put it out of her as she made her way across the lobby.

The Haruno sidled up to the front desk and smiled curtly at the woman behind it, keeping her expression bland but polite. "I'd like to request a room, please." She tld her plainly, tucking a loose strand of her bubble-gum hair behind an ear in a vain attempt to appear somewhat presentable. Being out on missions had that nasty habit of turning her into a wild child of sorts, and frankly hhe would do well to take a nice, long shower with lots of soap and shampoo.

The woman handed her a key and a couple papers for her to sign, and Sakura in turn handed her a few bills then signed appropriately. Sakura then thanked the woman before she turned and continued through the lobby and out towards the stairs. The Uchiha padded quietly at her heels, his mind apparently elsewhere.

The room was number 209: second floor and all the way to the left. They let themselves right on in through the door, and instantly the harsh smell of cleaning solution, washing detergiant, and air conditioning hit them in a giant wave of pungency.

The Haruno wrinkled her nose. The Uchiha growled in distaste.

It was a good sized room; more of a small-sized apartment really. It consisted of three rooms: the bedroom, the living room/kitchen area, and the bathroom. Sprawled out just past the door was the living room, equipped with a large TV set, a coffee table, a long couch, a couple chairs, and a tall lamp. Along the wall was the small kitchen space, which essentially was a marble counter with a stove and sink on top, an oven beneath, and a microwave built into the wall above.

The next room was the bedroom, which was visible through an open doorframe across the room. Inside was a large, fluffy-looking king-sized bed, a nightstand, a very comfortable-looking leather couch, and another TV.

The restroom door was off to the right, door open only slightly so that the corner of the toilet was all that was visible.

All around, the place was pretty spacious. The walls were a warm vanilla color, the carpet patterned with rich greens, creamy yellows, and hazy reds. The two stepped beyond the boundary of the doorw, say and shut it behind them, surveying the room with two expressions of satisfaction.

"I think this will do," said the kunoichi smugly as she made her way to the bedroom, as if her exhausted body was being called towards the designated sleep area. She threw her backpack mechanically onto the couch , and flopped face-first into the lovely looking bed. Her whole body sighed into the pleasantly warm fabrics, and a large and blissful smile crept across the kunoichi's face as she closed her eyes just for a moment.

The faint padding sounds of the Uchiha trotting into the room forced the kunoichi to cave in to her pride and roll over to face him. He was eying her critically but didn't make a sound as he moved up towards the leather couchs, hopped up onto its shiny, milk-chocolate cushions, and laid himself down right on top. He perked his ears forward and lay his head upon his large paws and then continued to watch her carefully, though judging by his drooping eyelids he was fighting off slumber just as hard as she was.

The Haruno sighed and sat up groggily, kicking off her shoes simultaneously. She pondered what needed to be done before she could really enjoy a well-earned slumber, and she mentally began to tick the things off. They would need some food, and some more medical supplies and herbs. Oh yeah, and a shower. She grinned to herself as she fumbled for her backpack once more and retrieved an old pair of sweats and a little spagetti-strap, mint-green tank-top.

She glanced back at the Uchiha just as she was leaving the room, a smile spread across her lips. "I'm going to clean up a bit before I go get some food, will you be okay by yourself?" It was a silly question, of course the famous prodigy would be alright. But all the same, she found it rude to not ask, so she went ahead regardless.

Sasuke glared at her in response, flicking his tail irritably. The Haruno rolled her eyes and continued into the bathroom.

The shower felt amazing. Like all of the hot steam and silky-warm water was simply washing all of her troubles and worries away with the grit. She went ahead and washed her hair too, finding the pleasant smell of the melon and coconut shampoo and conditioner to be all-too inviting. She slipped on her clothes easily, ran her fingers through her soaked hair a few times, then quickly dashed from the steamy room.

The bedroom was exactly how she'd left it, spare the wolf. The creature was sound asleep, nestled between two cushions in a very canine-like fashion. His head was tucked comfortably between his paws, his tail curled protectively around his belly.

The kunoichi bit her lip as she surveyed her former teammate. He was frickin' _adorable_. God. She would definitely miss the whole animal thing. She smiled to herself sheepishly, crossing her arms thoughtfully over her chest. She felt a slight tinge of guilt at having the wolf sleep on the couch rather than on the much-more-comfortable bed, and felt her duty to at least offer the option to him.

Sakura approached the sleeping creature, surprised that her clumsy and not-at-all subtle footsteps didn't wake him. She frowned and crouched down next to him so that her gleaming emeralds were level with his closed onyxes. She watched his wet, canine nose flare and shrink with every come and go of breath and watched his pelt rise and fall along with the gentle rhythm...

The kunoichi bit her lip nervously and poked him right in the side with an extended index finger. His ear twitched off to the side for a moment, but quickly reverted back to its original position. Other than that he hadn't seemed to have noticed. She surpressed a giggle and poked him again, this time with a little more force to her jab. Again he didn't budge.

She really hadn't expected the Uchiha to be one for heavy sleeping.

So with a delighted grin spread across the contours of her expression, the Haruno scooped up the bundle of fur in her arms and deposited him lightly on the bed. Though the wolf did not open his eyes and hadn't seemed to awoken, a low subconscious growl passed through the cage of his teeth, and Sakura quickly backed away. But the creature merely scooched away from his previous position in the middle of the bed towards the pillows that leaned against the headboard. It was cute; the way in which he nestled himself between the pillows, burrowing his head into the comforter as he curled his legs and tail around himself.

Then his whole body seemed to release a large amount of tension, and his breathing shifted back into the calm and regular rhythm of sleep.

The kunoichi frowned at her sleeping conpanion, a soft expression glowing across her features. The poor guy must have really been exhausted, to be able to sleep as soundly as he was. She felt a tremendous amount of sadness for him, for she really only wanted what was best for him.

The pinkette reached out her hand and gave the wolf a good pat on the head before kicking on a pair of old flip-flops and turning away towards the awaiting door.

* * *

The grocery store was absolutely jammed with customers. The villagers flocked from aisle to aisle like bloody flies, picking things up from the shelves and then frowning before replacing them messily. The kunoichi had to push and shove her way through just to get to each section, and then once more to get her hands on the actual produce. Her little open-toed shoes proved to be very un-useful as well, and her little toes were all stepped on a good number of times.

Sakura managed to snag the very last jug of 1 milk before she dropped it in her shopping basket quickly and snaked her way through the throng without a second glance.

Milk, eggs, cheese, some instant ramen, and a large package of chicken to cook up for dinner. She paid the cashier quickly before flitting out the large sliding doors of_ Bargain Mart,_ jamming her few groceries into her shoulder-bag without a word.

Next was the medical store. The place was just a few houses down from the market, so it wasn't much of a walk. It was a shabby little store: a one-roomed building with two windows and one small front door. The Haruno pushed through this little green door and peered around the place nervously, raising an eyebrow at the layout.

Bottles and medicine jars took up about every inch of the darkened room's shelf space, cluttered and cramped together to conserve as much room as possible. Hanging from the ceiling with herbs in their raw state, all tied tightly onto the hanging ropes. Sakura had to duck to avoid running into them. There were a few candles illuminating a small table, on top of which a very large black cat sat, staring at her with gleaming yellow eyes. Its pupils were mere slights, practically glaring across the room at the kunoichi with a menacing aura of hate.

Sakura shrunk back, gripping her bag tightly.

"Excuse me? Is there anyone here?"

It happened so fast.

At one moment there was a cat, sitting very still on the table. It was jet-black, its fur thick and glossy. It's ears were straight and slightly cocked forward as it stared with beady yellow eyes right at her, and suddenly its expression tightened. And then a very small silver ring, which previouslyhad been looped around the end of its tail, was flicked right off to clatter to the wooden floor.

And then there was a woman, sitting very easily on the table in its place. Thin, model-like legs were crossed underneath folds of a dark-green-and-blue dress, delicate shoulders were hidden beneath a very expensive-looking, black jacket. Her hair was a golden, sun-kissed blond, falling in loose rivulets about her glowing face. She grinned a toothy grin at the Haruno, revealing a pair of two pointed curved and pointed kanines. Her eyes were a startling yellow, just as the cat's had been.

Sakura took too staggering steps back, her mind whirling as she fought to assess what the hell had just happened. She narrowed her eyes accusingly, her thin lips tightening into a thin line. "Who the hell are you?" she barked, her voice steady and defiant, yet with an underlying sort of caution.

The lady regarded her for a moment before running an idle hand through her river of locks, a deep pucker of of faux concern forming between her light brows.

"Well _that's_ not a very polite way to address a shopkeeper," she mused in a high, chiming voice, her glossy lips turning upwards into an amused smile. She had a slight -- was it British? -- accent that became most prominent on some of the vowels, and the curt manor in which she addressed the kunoichi implied that she musn't have grown up in the Fire Country at all.

Her gleaming hues suddenly gave an ominous flash, catching the pinkette's attention once more. The blond then continued in a more friendly tone: "But my name is Yui."

The Haruno didn't move an inch as she scrutinized this strange, and possibly dangerous, shape-shifting individual. Was this woman to be regarded as a foe? Or was she trustworthy? Sakura's mind flickered to the very manner of the woman's shifting and the way in which she had almost _faded_ into her current form from that of a cat. She stood very still, her hand grasping a hidden kunai in her weapons pouch as she strained to match this Yui's introduction.

She pointed to her self slowly, speaking in a distrusting voice. "Sakura."

The woman nodded, a very pleased expression spreading across her glowing face. She looked off to the side, now looking slightly dreamy and far-away. "Like the tree whose blossom are just so marvelously beautiful during the spring... What a charming namesake." She fingered a lock of hair before hopping off from a top of desk and flitting easily over to retrieve the ring that had bounced away earlier. She stuffed it quickly in one of her pocket before returning her watchful yellow gaze to her... customer.

"Since this is a shop, and you did walk in here on your own, is it safe to assume that you're looking for something...?"

But before the shopkeeper could continue the Haruno fired off a single question, her expression serious and still in quite a bit of shock. "How did you do that? How the hell did you change into a human from an animal?" Her voice was loud and slightly frantic. She felt like she was actually doing something now, like if she was able to get an answer it would bring her one step closer to helping her companion. She would be able to prove herself as more than just a mindless hindrance to him...

The woman sensed the urgency in her voice, and her playful expression became very serious. "I am under no obligation to tell you such things, and all I can rightfully say to you is that it is a sacred technique known only to members of my family -- and I have no intention of spelling the secret." Her voice was sharp, dagger-like. It sounded to the Haruno like she'd said that line many times during her lifetime. Now it was time to be very persistent.

"I need to know how you _changed back_. How you _turned into a human_ without any hand-signs, seals, or scrolls!"

"Why would a simpleton like yourself care of such things?" The woman raised an annoyed eyebrow, examining one of her perfectly manicured nails boredly.

The Haruno was at a sudden loss for words. Could she tell this stranger? Explain herself to someone who might pose as a potential threat? But if it would save her old team mate, the caged raven that awaited her return back at the inn... Her expression shaped into one of confident determination. She would trade her own safety for his welfare. That was what it meant to be a teammate, a friend.

"I travel with a companion who has undergone a similar sort of transformation against his will, and though he is not a cat, I believe that the same restrictions may apply. I _need_ to change him back." Her voice was thick, strong, and laced with a fierce, almost underlying sort of threat. The woman watched her briefly before another large smile erupted across her features. She giggled to herself, flicking that same old ring out of her pocket once more. Her eyes flicked open after being closed, filled with a sort of sly wit, the little slits that she had for pupils narrowing out until they were but slivers.

"Watch, little Blossom." The woman snaked her pinky finger through the jewelery quickly, grinning smugly.

A white flash, and the cat sat perfectly still on the floor, its tail flicking back and forth nimbly, the silver trinket now fitted perfectly around it. The Haruno watched with a fixed fascination.

Then the cat slid the ring right off and Yui again stood quite plainly in the room, her perfect hair and clothes the same as they'd been before. Sakura slowly connected the dots.

_Ring on, animal, ring off, no animal. Sasuke-kun must have something..._ And then it hit her. His necklace. The clan necklace. The chain he'd had around his neck since he was just a kid. Could that...?

"Arigatou, Yui-san!" She bowed her head quickly before dashing out the way she'd come, her grocery bags swinging loosely at her hips.

* * *

The room was just as dark and silent as she'd left it.

Sakura placed her groceries on the small kitchen counter before hurrying into the bedroom, immediately slowing to a tiptoe as her eyes took in the sight of her sleeping companion. He was in almost the same position as how she'd left him in, only that he'd somehow nestled his way beneath a few sheets during his slumber so that he was nestled between a warm layer of blankets and a nice set of pillows. He seemed to be sleeping rather soundly, so the kunoichi was hesitant to wake him and tell him the news...

It suddenly occured to her that this plan of action might now work, and that her frantic run here might not have been the best solution. What would happen if the removal of his trinket wouldn't spell the end of his transformation? What if he didn't change back? What if...?

The pinkette held her breath. She would try. If she failed, then she would try something else. She would keep going until she succeeded. Her expression became lanced with her fierce willpower as she knelt down beside the bed.

The canine didn't stir, the only sign of his life being the gentle rise and fall of his chest. So the kunoichi reached out and with trembling fingers, latched onto his necklace and yanked.

* * *

-holds up shield- No killing author please. D:  
I actually hate it when fanfiction-ers leave cliffhangers at the ends of their chapters when they update as sporadically as I do... so I apologize was my hypocrisy.

Sorry for such a late update, school has been really busy for me. I'll try to update with next chapter within the next few weeks.

As for the completion of this fanfic, I'm starting to have my doubts. I've got loads of other ideas that I'm keeping all bottled up because of this one, and I'd feel guilt if I started a new one just to leave the fans of this one out to dry. So I'm letting you know in advance that this story will most likely not be finished, and that if it does it will be over the next break from school. i.e. Christmas. I will still update every so often, but it will be a lot less often than I'm currently updating.

But NO NEED TO DESPAIR. I'm looking to start another fic that'll be even better and updated regularly! Woo! ;D

Are you guys okay with this predicament? If I get enough people who really want this to be finished I may just take it to heart.  
Please review and thanks for reading!

--xxIndigo


	7. Awake

.: HOWLING LOVE :.

Chapter Seven xx Awake

* * *

He was just as perfect as she remembered.

Perhaps even better.

The moment passed in slow motion, like a fluttering wisp of a dream. The now very human figure that lay unmoving amongst the throng of sheets and blankets seemed completely unreal to the Haruno, like if she were to reach out a tentative hand to touch his silken cheek that it would waver and fade from existance. The slumbing figure next to her was fragile, and that if she made any sudden movement or noise that it would completely disappear.

Was it wrong that she wished not to wake him? Was it wrong that she didn't shake him to tell him the good news? Was it wrong that she purposely put it off so that she could enjoy a few simple moments of tranquility _with_ him before he woke up and... She felt the back of her neck tingle her memories flickered to the last time they'd met, both as humans.

Naruto, as strong as he always tried to be, had never really recovered from the incident. It had hurt both of them to be so painfully rejected from their old team mate, and it hadn't helped that the prodigy had paralyzed Sai and Naruto, tried to kill Sakura, stabbed Yamato, broken through a solid wall, tried to kill them all using a new jutsu of his, then teleported away using a strange forbidden fire jutsu...

Her train of thought meandered off to the side as she hesitated, feeling a twisting dread roiling about in the pit of her stomach, and she wrapped her arms protectively about her middle to qualm them. Why was she doing this for him? She should just leave him behind, or better yet, knock him out and drag him to Konoha where the interrogation and torture squad could do as they saw fit...

That was almost too cruel.

She returned her focus to the unconscious individual before her, tracing invisible lines over the contours of his porcelain face with her glimmering viridian hues.

He was like some sort of _angel_. His face was like a masterpiece that an artist might chisel from marble; it was completely and utterly flawless. His skin was such so white and pale that it seemed to almost melt into the sheets nestled around it. His closed eyes seemed to just drip with a defined sort of beauty and grace, like even in sleep he still had the ability to emanate whatever mood he wished. His brow was perfectly serene and straight, for for once he seemed not to have a care in the world. His nose was long and straight, then down to the thin line of his lips where a soft breath would occasionally escape along with the gentle rise and fall of his chest. The curve of his jaw was sharp, very masculine, and ended with his dignified chin.

The thick, raven-black hair suddenly fluttered as another breath passed his lips, leading her ears to linger on the thick bangs that framed the portrait of his face so perfectly. The spikes that had always been in a complete disarray behind his head were even more tousled than they'd been the last time she'd seen him, and it took great deal away from his intimidation factor.

His rumpled white yukata had fallen from where it would normally lay upon his shoulders down towards it elbows so that the bulk of his torso was completely exposed to the elements of the room. The Haruno found her expression contorting into one of distraught as she noticed the complicated maze of scars, cuts, and bruises that covered the majority of his chest.

Her eyes lingered on a particular bruise that was a deep, flushed violet and red, and knew immediately, due to her extensive medic training, that beneath were several torn muscles and tendons. Her expression turned to one of defiance as she pulled his shirt up to cover the bruise without receiving a response, and she silently decided that she would heal the wound.

_I will no longer be a hindrance._

So the Haruno moved away from the bedside, slipped into her pajamas, laid out her sleeping roll on the leather couch, turned off the lights, and snuggled right in.

She fell asleep with a smug grin plastered onto the corners of her gleeful face.

* * *

The morning was unusually quiet. The harsh chatter of the townspeople outside was inaudible, no dogs barked, and only a few sparce birds sung out their longing melodies.

The pinkette wasn't at all aware of her surroundings as she mumbled something low and incorherent before she rolled over on the couch, burying her sleeping face into her pillow. Her little cocoon of blankets fit snugly around the curves of her body, and she dared not move away from the the perfect temperature that was now completely enveloping her skin. She was still blissfully unaware of the world, smiling stupidly into her pillow, when she felt the inexplicable feeling of someone watching, which instantly pulled her reluctantly from her slumber.

She turned her head grudgingly, now laying on her stomach so that the side of her face was somewhat mashed in a discontent frown against her pillow as she glared at the hotel room. Her eyes traveled from the empty king-sized bed, to the nightstand, to the TV, and then to the hazy figure of a person framing the doorway.

Sakura rubbed her eyes to clear the wary blur that had formed over her eyes from sleep.

And then she _really_ saw him. His eyes were wide open now; flickering and dancing with a pent up fire that yearned to break lose from within the seething midsts. The onyx cores were so loomingly deep that they seemed to truly be just endless pits of roiling and tossing emotion... She felt butterflies tremor through her stomach as she gazed into them, feeling oddly exposed and vulnerable.

The liquid obsidians narrowed slightly, a hint of suppressed suspicion flickering through them in the form of a gleam before quickly passing, leaving behind only an annoyingly-smug smirk.

Sakura frowned at him, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

Though she managed to keep her expression steady, a flurry of emotions and questions were whisking dejectedly through her mind: _When did he wake up? How long as he been watching me? How long have I been out? What was his reaction? What will he say? What should _I _say? What should I do?!_

It was all rather confusing, at any rate.

So to ease the wanderings of her baffled mind she chose to study the infinite beauty of this boy's entire _being_ as she had the night before. This calmed her considerably.

The prodigy's pale, porcelain skin almost glowed in the dark, unlit space between rooms, contrasting against the overwhelmingly fierce, obsidian gems that gazed down at her. His face was so perfectly symmetrical, so perfectly unmarred and smooth, with those jutting cheekbones and his arching brow. His raven bangs hung in a wet, disheveled frame about his alabaster face, spiking to an end just before the angular jut of his jaw slanted away towards his chin.

She assumed he'd taken a shower before continuing her scrutiny.

His eyebrows were pointed slightly downward, almost in an critical fashion, though they instantly loosened into an ever-more amused expression when their eyes made sparking contact.

He wasn't wearing anything resembling a shirt, and the perfectly toned muscles of his torso almost rippled as he shifted his weight to lean on the door-frame. Again his bruise came into view, and she held back a shudder as the muscles there refused to flex when moved and instead twisted into a painful looking knot beneath the skin. He didn't seem to notice.

She felt her cheeks flush scarlet as she realized that she must have been staring at younger Uchiha for at least five whole minutes.

The thick sinews of his tricep tensed slightly as he rested a fair amount of weight onto his elbow, bending his forearm back so that the back of his hand rested nimbly on his forward, palm facing out. His fingers were long, delicate, yet at the same time they seemed rough and powerful, capable of killing with just a simple flick. He seemed at ease, completely unaware that she was analyzing every move, watching the stunning brilliance of his every breath..

And _he_ was still staring at _her_.

The kunoichi worked her tongue around behind her lips, grappling for something to say. But really, what was there to say? Her old team mate, her close friend, the man whom she had been so madly in love with for so long, the guy who had given up his entire life in search for greater power... He was right here.

The young prodigy was right in front of her, just standing nonchalantly across the room, completely human and relatively healthy. She inhaled sharply, struggling for a moment as she found all breath escaping her.

Sakura sat up slowly, holding half of her warm blanket around her shoulders as she hugged the rest to her chest. He threw a questioning glance at her movements, his liquid-onyx hues contracting slightly as they examined her and then expanding once more after seeing what she was doing.

Her heart was hammering against her chest as she finally mustered up her strength and spoke.

"I honestly didn't think it would work..." Her voice fluttered out in soft chimes, full of a far-off wonder. She pulled out Sasuke's necklace slowly and held it out to him before continuing, "It's in the necklace; the jutsu, I mean. You just had to take it off." She said it simply, like it was a matter of fact.

The prodigy watched her closely, obviously deciding whether or not to approach her and take a look at the chain for himself. His eyes finally narrowed in defeat to his curiosity before he swiftly glided across the room, and then every so gently removed the trinket from her outstretched palm.

He stared at it for a moment in his hand, his brow knit together in concentration as he rolled it about with his fingers.

"Hn."

He continued to study it until his expression hardened into a dark stone, and his fist closed harshly around the silver, blocking it from view. He stowed it silently and quickly into a pocket in his baggy sweats, his eyes now completely unreadable.

The Haruno didn't say anything, hoping that giving him time to think would make him warm up. She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin atop them, her glittering emerald eyes watching him cautiously.

The silence was intiminating, and she felt incredibly out of place just by sitting there. His expression hadn't much changed either.

"You okay?" Her voice was soft as she watched his eyes alighted with a fiery rage of fury. She felt awkward saying it, breaking the uncomfortable silence as she had, and did she really have a right to know anyway? It was his own business. The necklace must have more to him than she'd originally assumed, and she felt a large amount of guilt welling up in her gut because of it.

His eyes flicked over to observe her, glinting like steel as they took in the sight of the kunoichi curled up protectively on the couch. He said nothing in reply, and instead turned slowly sat upon the already-made bed across the room. He kneaded his forehead with his knuckles dryly, exhaling roughly.

Seeing that the Uchiha wasn't planning on saying anything, the Haruno slowly slid from the couch, grudgingly extracted her regular kunoichi apparel from her bag on the floor, then continued towards the other room.

She stopped in the doorframe and turned to him, finding his eyes inquisitively staring into her own.

"I'm going to clean up..." She gestured towards the bathroom before flitting towards it.

Once inside she quickly closed the door and then locked it for safe measure. She slipped out of her pajamas wordlessly, then hopped into the shower. She rinsed down for a while, enjoying the steamy warmth of the water. She stepped out momentarily, dried off with one of the profided towels, and slipped on her normal attire. Her loose red tank-top felt so natural on her skin as she pulled it on over her bra and bindings, and the jet-black spandex that she had on beneath her fluttering tan skirt fit snuggly against her legs. Next she slipped on her elbow bracers, laced up her boots, and tied her red Konoha headband neatly over her head.

She examined herself for a time in the mirror, feeling quite herself in her usual garb. Her reflection smiled confidently at her before she turned away and exited.

Whatever the day would bring, she would meet it head on. She would bring her old teammate back to Konoha no matter what, this she was sure of.

* * *

:D

That was a pretty fast update, for my standards at least. Sasuke-kun isn't much of a talker, but he may warm up. :  
I hope you like it. :3

As for the completion of this fanfic, I've decided to continue it. After a long-winded conversation with a couple friends of mine about my new muses we devised a way to sneakily incorporate some of the new ideas with the old ones, so overall this fanfic is going to be a whole lot better. So prepare yourself for an intense couple chapters, coming up soon. ;B

And on a random note: DID YOU GUYS WATCH HEROES?? Older Peter looked a bit ominous with the whole scar-face thing going on, and Claire was totally badass when she tried to shoot him in the beginning, and Mohinder's got some problems now, don't he? Hah, can't wait for next episode. ;D

Please REVIEW and thanks SO MUCH for reading!

-- xxIndigo


	8. Closer

**:: Howling Love ::**

**Chapter Eight xx Closer  


* * *

**

"Hey. Uchiha."

His gaze flicked up to meet the kunoichi in the doorway from his position on the bed, examining her quickly before averting again towards the open window to his left. His thin lips turned slightly down into a discontent little scowl while his onyx hues burned fiercly, expressing his obvious disapproval towards being called so bluntly by his last name. The lithe pinkette was immediately intrigued, for bothering the raven was about as entertaining as it could get.

Her mind caught suddenly onto a small loophole, and her expression suddenly shifted into an inquisitory frown. She'd called him by his last name all the time when they'd been kids, and it had never bothered him at the slightest then. Now it seemed to have prodded a rather sensitive nerve, and Sakura's brimming curiosity threatened to bubble over as she rolled over what could possibly be the cause

She, however, said nothing about that. There were many more _important_ and _pressing _matters that needed to be answered sooner rather than later.

"Why is it that..." she hesitated and rolled over a few words over her tongue before continuing: "Why are you still here?" She said the last word almost silently; a tiny little whisper that just barely escaped the confines of her lips. She had been so _happy_, so completely at peace with herself when Sasuke had chosen to stick with her after her brilliant rescue, and just the thought of him leaving her again was wrenching. Heart breaking.

What she felt then; it had been the warmest and most blissful feeling she'd every experienced, and she had no intention of destroying such a memory.

He was competely human now, completely free to do as he pleased, as far as she could tell. Well, he was more of a super-human, really, what with his lightning-fast speed, his amazing strength, his fantastic array of jutsu and techniques, and his fierce ambition that forced him to always be moving forward... If there was a god out there, Sakura imagined that it it would look a great deal like the a-famed Uchiha.

_Focus, Sakura._

The raven-haired boy's expression remained pallid, but his eyes fluttered between annoyance and a distant confusion during the silence that ensued after her small inquiry. And then, hidden behind that, was a bitter and raw frustration: because he didn't _know_ the answer, he didn't _know_ why he was still hanging around that strange, pink-haired kunoichi, and he didn't _know_ why the hell he hadn't gone up and left yet.

Sakura could see all of those turmoiling thoughts written so clearly and distinctly behind his eyes that it almost _scared_ her. He hadn't said a thing, yet she was aware of a full-fledged response emanating from those two gleaming obsidian hues. It was as if they were speaking her, telling all that she needed to know without ever uttering a sound. Had they always been so talkative? Had they always been like such open portals right into the depths of his very being..? She found herself falling deeper into their midsts, and she quickly pulled herself to the surface, brow furrowing.

"Sasuke-kun?"

Again, he didn't answer, his eyes now clouding up as they continued to stare listlessly out the closed window into the bustling streets below. She moved her lips to give him another prodding, but stopped when she saw his own suddenly part.

"What?!" Though his tone was a bit harsh, it lacked any sort of real venom, which to Sakura was at least a step. He whipped his head around to cast her a low scowl before turning back towards the window.

And then his gazed flickered over to regard her sharply once more with those dark, serene eyes. They were so ominous, so _eerie_... His expression seemed almost amused, like he was enjoying the pleasure of an inside joke or some old memory. Sakura folded her arms nonchalantly, raising an eyebrow at his oddly out-of-place expression.

"What's so funny?" she demanded lowly, her emerald eyes glinting. He answered with no furthur prompting.

"Curiosity."

"That's one _hell _of an answer, Uchiha." She retorted sarcastically, leaning on the doorway as she matched his heavyset gaze. "Care to embellish?"

He glared at her fertively before flicking his gaze off towards his favoritie window, expression icy.

"Curiosity as to whatever has happened to these strange things we call_ bonds_."

His delicate and refined answer was quite a surprise to Sakura, who has merely been expecting another one of his half-hearted, one-worded scoffs. His actually meaningful and complete sentence begged a long string of inquiries that the kunoichi now instantly longed to ask of him...

Yet she found herself unable to fight back the surge of roiling emotions that had meanwhile brimmed up and drowned any and all beginnings of a reply. Bonds. It pained her to think back to when he'd last uttered that word, and the shocking terms in which he'd spoken it. Back then he'd said it with serene malice and hatred, and now it was more profound, like his words actually meant something real.

Something about the way he'd said bonds seemed odd to her. Sasuke had monologued about how he'd shredded the bonds he'd had with his old team at their last reunion, yet here he was saying he was interested in them once more. Had he or had he not broken those bonds...? Or at least his half of the bond. The half that she held onto, her own connection with him from the days of the old Team 7, was long gone. It would take a lot more than a chance encounter to knit _them_ back together.

She had since vowed never again to give such bonds to anyone so frivolously ever again. She had to be careful with whom she left her heart with.

"What happened to breaking all of your old bonds?" She spoke with a sarcastic edge that seemed a bit harsh, but due to their apparent history she believed it to be well deserved. She resented the idea of being treated like some lowlife trash that people only stick around with so they can see what happens next. No, she didn't work like that, not at all.

When he gave no hint of responding, Sakura set herself on the path to change the subject, diving into a topic that might succeed in sparking another one of his sparse replies.

"Whether you're curious or not doesn't change the fact that neither of us are going to be very safe here for much longer. Katsuo will no doubt be on both of our tails for the next few days, and his men, as dependent on basic taijutsu as they are, shouldn't be taken lightly--" she paused, catching his dry stare before continuing with an in-your-face tone: "Even for _you_."

After a few seconds the Uchiha bowed his head in bland defeat before rising easily to his feet. He rolled a stiff shoulder out slowly before speaking.

"Katsuo's men are all _idiots_. If the do catch up to us, which they won't, they aren't going to stand a chance." His voice held a fierce venom that struck out over every world, and his eyes slightly narrowed before he picked snatched up his white yukata from the floor and pulled it on over his bare chest. The Haruno saw her opportunity.

"If they're all idiots, then how'd you get caught?"

Her words provoked daggar-like glares to shoot at her from those liquid obsidians, and he scowled lowly at her as he crossed his arms bitterly across his now covered chest. She stifled the urge to giggle at what she perceived as a cute, little frown.

"That's none of your busniess."

"That's productive. What if we get attacked; would you be alright with letting me fall into the same trick that I may have avoided if you'd told me?"

"Hn."

"So what was it? Surprise attack? Some crazy new jutsu? Poison?

"Poison."

"Poison?"

"Odorless, tasteless, colorless. One second I'm standing, the next I wake up a week later in a _prison_." His tone was icy, filled with a vengeful malice, though he was careful not to direct it at Sakura.

The kunoichi nodded slowly, slipping her hands into her pair of black gloves as she pondered something quietly. The Sasuke she knew would never have been caught by something as easily detectable as that. There was something that he was neglecting to tell her, something more that she _needed_ to know. The Uchiha had never been one to be caught in a bar after a long day, something must have happened... She would pry into that one later, when he wasn't quite as foul-tempered.

Sakura shouldered her bag and gestured towards the door as the Uchiha slipped his sheathed katana into his rope belt. He kicked on his sandals quickly before following swiftly behind her.

* * *

It felt good to be enveloped in trees once more. It made the Haruno feel more secure to be heading in the direction or her home, like each step was bringing her closer and closer to safety. Yet it also brought about a sort of looming dread, for she had a feeing that her old teammate wasn't about to waltz along next to her right through the gates of Konoha. Unless he favored being thrown into the Konoha Prison and being interrogated and possibly tortured by Morino Ibiki.

No, that was probably the last thing that Sasuke wanted to do. He'd been caged up for a while, by Sakura's understandings, and she would hate herself if anything similar were to happen to him again any time in the near future. Seeing her friends, as distant as they could be, in pain was the worst torture of all. Especially when she was unable to save them.

So she turned to Sasuke as they moved swiftly through the trees, unable to contain her concern over what had gone on before and during his containment.

"Sasuke-kun?"

It took him a few seconds to respond, but when he did it was nothing out of the ordinary: "Hn?"

She hesitated as well, but pressed on regardless.

"What happened to you?" Her voice was quiet, innocent... She watched as his eyes as his onyx eyes were wrought with a distant sense of flickering fear, and then quickly molded into a fiery anger before subsiding into a saddened defeat.

"It doesn't concern you." His words were slightly accusatory, but the Haruno ignored it as she hesitated. She pursed her lips slightly, her thin brow knitting together as she snook a glance at him. He appeared uninterested, his expression rather bland as he stared numbly off into the sprawling forest ahead of them.

"Hmph. You really_ haven't_ changed, Uchiha."

She said it more to spite him than anything else, and it definitely caught his attention. His harsh gaze flicked to examine her face icily, narrowing and fluxing in roiling waves of anger and contempt.

She shrugged lightly as she let a small girlish smirk flower across her lips, dismissing it. Sasuke glowered at her for a moment longer before softening his scowl slightly so that it was more of a frown.

The Uchiha continued to survey her dubiously with his eyes however, still quite a ways of looking amused. Then he silently averted his gaze and quickened his pace simultaneously.

Minutes passed, and the complete and utter silence of the surrounding forest seemed rather ominous and intiminating to Sakura's awaiting ears, but she made no move to bring it to its end. Prodding the Uchiha more than one shouldThat he wasn't just lashing out at her was a mountainous step, and she didn't want to push him to the point of breaking.

And then the sound of his voice, echoing faintly across the walls of her conscious, brought her to the present.

"Itachi... He's dead."

His words were hollow, dead. No happiness or rejoice seeped into his words, like fullfilling an ambition should do to ones spirits. His eyes were dulled, and his expression was blank. He had slowed considerably as well until at last he stopped in the middle of a small clearing. His fingers were closed in tight fists as he stared at his shoes, deep in thought.

"Sasuke-kun, I'm--"

"_Don't_ apologize."

He spat the words out venomously, his angered expression steely and harsh. The Haruno recoiled slightly, her expression a strange hybrid between confusion and sympathy. Though his expression remained angry and stone-like, Sakura saw the flicker of inner turmoil swirling deep inside his seething pools of black. Fear.

Fear, and an immense sadness.

He looked like a small puppy who'd lost his mother, his eyes filled with such blatant emotion, his hair still slightly wet from the shower he'd taken back at the hotel, his skin an almost unnatural pale, his expression so distraught...

And though every inch of her inner self screamed at her to stop, she stepped towards him and took his rough hand in hers, lacing her fingers in between his and tracing the lines of his palm as she brought it up between them.

He made no move to withdraw his hand; he only continued to stare at her numbly, eyes glazed over.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun."

"I told you _not_ to be sorry." His temper started to bubble into action, but she beat him to the catch.

"NO. I _am_ sorry! I should have _been there_! Every time one of my friends is in danger, I can never do anything!" She glared at him profusely, tightening her grip around his hand before roughly letting it fall from her grasp.

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

"Nothing! I can never do_ anything_! I can't watch everyone close to me fall apart like this, I can't and I _won't_!"

She suddenly drew up her own hand and jabbed him roughly in the chest with her index finger.

"Mark my words, Uchiha, I will find a way to help you, whether you want it or not."

His shell-shocked look shifted isuddenly nto a wide smirk as he watched her glare profusely up at him.

"Whatever."

She smiled to herself as he turned and continued away, and she quickly followed after him. Sakura upposed that was all she would ever get out of him, and she was perfectly willing to accept that.

* * *

An elusive xxINDIGO UPDATE has been spotted!  
---------------- **Run** :: Attack :: Item

Ahhaha....well..... I'm sorry for the long wait, but numero 8 is finally up!^^ I tried to make up for the lateness of it with its length and some nice little SasuSaku fluff at the end. :] There is much more fluff to come, so keep your eyes peeled! This chapter was inspired by TRADING YESTERDAY which is now my favorite band. (Though I think they disbanded a while ago....) Anyway, they're my lovers, so this is for the! :]

And Heroes fans, again? OH MY GOD PETER PETRELLI I LOVE YOUUUUU! Even without your lovely powers, you'll always be my hero! ;D

Oh yeah guys, I recently updated my profile, so if you want to read a few things about myself and A Howling Love then go catch up there. Whenever I need to tell you guys something important, I'll post it there so make sure to check it periodically if you want to stay updated. :]

And HAPPY HALLOWEEN GUYS! Please REVIEW! Thanks for reading!

--xxIndigo


	9. Ambush

**Howling Love :.**

**Chapter Nine xx Ambush**

* * *

It was Sasuke who noticed them first.

He had kept glancing back with a furtive scowl before quickening his pace every few minutes. Pretty soon he'd filled her in on his odd behavior, and it had all fit quite easily into place. Sakura hadn't at all liked what he'd told her.

They were being followed.

The full moon seemed particularly ominous at that point as it loomed high above the treetops. It's milky-white glow bled through the finger-like branches to cast leaping and flitting shadows that danced along the many tree trunks and roots. The two companion's speed had done anything but slow within the last few hours, the the night had proven to be of no great obstacle due to their moonlit path. They kept up their pace relentlessly, pushing always furthur through the trees; Sakura just ahead jumping from branch to branch, and Sasuke, sprinting tirelessly through the trees. Though they had earlier made plans to stop and make camp, they discarded the idea and chose to continue onward for one sole reason.

"Sakura."

The kunoichi glanced down towards the forest floor when he heard his low hiss, her emerald eyes watching him closely as he took a glance behind them before returning his gaze up towards her in the treetops.

"There's a clearing up ahead -- we could ambush them there." His onyx eyes flicked forward, narrowing in what she assumed to be a few mental calculations.

"How big?"

"Big, no trees, lot's of grass... There's a water source as well." His smug expression told her that the water source had finalized his plan, and she distantly wondered why, but didn't ask about it.

"How do you know all of this?" He glanced sideways at her and paused before he replied.

"Hn."

"_Compelling_."

He shrugged mildly.

The trees were quickly beginning to thin out, and the pinkette quickened her pace in anticipation. The very feeling in the air seemed to shift as she broke through the branches into the open air to leap easily onto the ground, all of her muscles and tendons rippling with excitement for the coming battle.

And the finally the compact undergrowth gave way before her and the kunoichi burst forth into a thick blanket of weaving grass. She glanced around her quizzically, finding the light pouring forth from the moon to be rather helpful in her scrutinizing.

Her darting emeralds picked on all of the main features pretty easily. Off to the side was a large stream that tumbled off a sloping, grassy hill that rose up and off into the trees from opposite them. The grass covering the large expanse of meadow was thick and full of different tints of yellow and green that seemed to glint in the sparkling moonlight. Sakura, however, didn't have much time for sightseeing, for the raven-haired Uchiha appeared quickly from between a few trees, his approach completely silent.

He stopped when he was even with her, his right hand held apprehensively on the hilt of his katana, ready to draw at a moments notice. His onyx hues flickered back and forth as they surveyed and analyzed the landscape set before them, narrowing slightly before widening again, flicking between a strange mix of confidence and annoyance. Sakura buried a hand in her weapons pouch and slipped a few shuriken into the hidden pocket inside her gloves, her expression blank.

"Got a plan, Uchiha?" she asked him solemnly, though she actually had a few of her own that she would be more than willing to explain if he didn't.

He turned to her suddenly, his eyes pouring into her own with a very intiminating sort of glint. She felt her whole body willing itself to take a step back, but she ignored it and stared right back, eyebrow raised.

"You've got many of your Hokage's abilities, correct?" He seemed to be examining her, and she nodded hesitantly after he spoke. He continued brusquely:

"I need this clearing to be completely destroyed. Rubble everywhere; create some variety of levels to fight on." He took one last glance at the meadow before nodding again, his expression now expectant.

"Fine, though you might want to take a step back." Sakura made a looking shooing motion as he backed away into the shadow of the forest.

She took a deep breath and concentrated intensely on her right hand. At first, all she felt was a slight tingling. Then that familiar, startling-blue haze charged up around the surface of her glove, doubling in size every second until it hissed and crackled along her skin.

The kunoichi reared back her fist slowly, her expression stony and serious, then slammed it down with a shattering force into the ground.

Almost like water the rock around her rippled and buckled outwards before exploded around her hand, cracking and shattering like glass as it shook and crumbled. The noise was deafening, and the pinkette took a few steps back to admire her work, joining her companion in the shadows. Just like he'd asked, the entire place was now a complete chaos of dust and rubble.

"Satisfactory?" she asked smugly, lips curled into a girlish little grin.

"Quite."

Sasuke suddenly turned towards the trees behind him, eyes narrowed. "They're almost here..." he said quietly, more to himself than to Sakura. "Mask your chakra."

In a second his katana was slashing through the air as he bounded easily up through the pile of giant boulders and dust, his movements graceful and agile; not to mention completely silent. She quickly followed him, though her movements were more clumsy as she scrambled up through the boulders, while simultaneously focusing on shielding her pulsing chakra.

He stopped in the shadow of a particularly large chunk of land, crouched down so that he was hidden from view to their followers. Sakura ducked down behind him, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up anxiously as she peered out from the spot into the darkness of the trees. Now all they had to do was wait.

* * *

They moved like shadows into the moonlight from within the thick barricade of trees. The slinked out from the darkness before assuming a battle formation just beyond the undergrowth, their hidden faces scouring the darkness without much success.

Five men, one woman. Sakura watched grimly as the woman strutted out in front of the men, her twisting braid suddenly swinging out into view. It was a startling blonde; and as her gaze swept across the rubble her eyes gleamed a nightmarish yellow.  
_  
Yui...!! _She hasped audibly, her hands flying up to her mouth in surprise._  
_

Sasuke glanced up at her suddenly, his eyebrow raised at her bewildered expression. She waved him off with a hand, eyes still transfixed on the pursuers.

The raven tapped her softly, attracting her attention. In his hand was a thin, almost invisible line that stretched in the direction of the six shinobi. Her expression a-lit with understanding as she nodded. He nodded slowly, motioned for her to take a step back, then turned toward their opponents once more. He placed the string in his mouth and bit down to free his hands, then proceeded to fire off in a series of hand seals.

"_Soukou Hinote no Jutsu_," he muttered. The line in his hand instantly turned a scorching red as the heat seared down its length and out of view between the rocks.

Flames suddenly shot into the air in a blinding circle around the enemy shinobi, followed by a few wounded yelps and a very loud and female hiss.

Then suddenly the Uchiha was leaping out from their hiding spot, katana flashing in the moonlight as he whirled it in front of him, his speed almost undetectable as he landed easily ontop another large boulder a few yards off, his expression cool.

"_Raikou Hisaki no jutsu!_" His distinctive shout echoed out through the clearing as the Haruno watched the flames dancing about around the enemies turn a startling blue. They began to make a loud static noise, and electizity began to zigzag out from it in various directions into the ground.

Several shapes shot out from the mess, landing easily just beyond the flying static. Two of them looked a bit singed while the other growled something lowly at them.

Their comrades did not fair so easily. Sakura caught movement to her left and jolted to attention, but calmed as she realized it was her raven. His expression looked suddenly pained, and he turned away from the lightning suddenly, fixing his gaze somewhere else. Her expression turned to one of confusion as she looked back to the flickering blue flames.

And then the screams. From within the dancing flames of lightning the two shinobi who had been unable to escape were screaming in agony. Sakura's heart fluttered as she took an involuntary step back, fear bubbling up into her throat. Her hands flew up to her chest as she held them their, quivering in shock. They were being tortured, they were dying a cruel and unusual death, they were slowly being burned alive....

How could he do that to them? Why not just end it quickly, humanely, civilly? Her expression hardened suddenly.

His expression of pain now made sense.... Her thoughts were brought to an abrupt standstill as she heard that familiar, feminine purring out over the clearing.

"Uchiha Sasuke, I presume?" Sakura looked back down to Yui as she spoke, for she had been one of the three survivors.

When he gave no hint of replying, she went on: "And Haruno Sakura is with you as well, correct? How both of you escaped Katsuo-sama's prison is beyond me, but I have every intention of bringing you both back!" Her voice sounded half-crazed as it shrieked out over the meadow. The pinkette grit her teeth, searching for an open opportunity to make her attack.

The four remaining enemies were fanned out in a line, with Yui and one of the other men standing a little in front of the other two, showing off their higher ranks.

Sasuke looked down on the four of them during her little proposal without changing his cold expression in the slightest.

"Come and get me, then," he said coolly, watching with grinning eyes as suddenly the blonde sprang up and darted up towards him, eyes wild with fury. Sakura charged at the exact same moment from her hiding spot and slammed her fist into Yui's side, sending the woman flying backwards to sprawl limply on a nearby rock. She looked rather dazed as she fell to her knees on the opposite side of the clearing, though she had managed to stay conscious, which was a feat in itself.

She grinned smugly as Sasuke gave her an annoyed grimace. "First to two wins?" she asked him cutely. He smirked.

"You're _on_."

* * *

Sasuke-kun and Sakura have decided to turn beating their enemies to a pulp into a game. :D Lovely.

So anyway, I apologize for the short chapter, I was rather uninspired while writing it. Next chapter is going to be rather epic, and I thought that I should deserve it own chapter, thus why I ended this one so abruptly. Chapter 10 will be full of battle scenes, and perhaps a twist at the end. Prepare yourselves. :D Har har.

So earlier someone asked how long this fic is going to be. I honestly don't know. I have a couple more larger ideas and plenty of fluff that I want to sprinkle in, but after that I plan to have a rather happy ending, just as you guys asked for, and then an end. Depending on demand I may or may not have a sequel. From there I plan to create a AU SasuSaku fic and some nice oneshots. Who knows, it all depends. :D

For those of you who seemed to be a bit concerned over the fact that Sasuke got poofed into human form so quickly, don't get too worried! That whole concept will definitely continue to play a major role in the fic. In due time.

Any of you guys listened to Trading Yesterday? Dude, I just realized that the song "Love Song Requiem" is talking about me! Well, not really, but someone who has the same name. :] They're a pretty awesome band, and I highly recommend listening to a few songs. If you decide you like them or want something to do, look up "Shattered SasuSaku" on youtube and a really nice AMV comes up by kheartsterra, so be sure to watch that. It's one of my favorites.

Please REVIEW and thanks for reading! :D The more reviews I get the faster I'll update!

-- xxIndigo


	10. Trapped

**A Howling Love :.**

**Chapter 10 xx Trapped**

* * *

Sasuke watched his prey carefully, his onyx hues constantly darting back and forth between the huddled threesome; hungry as they sought out the first victim. He hadn't felt this sort of excited surge of adrenaline since his last fight, which had been weeks, perhaps months prior. He smirked arrogantly, his dark eyes melting into crimson as his pupils thickened and divided into the swirling pattern of his clan's kekkei genkai. Next he was flitting towards them at an in-human speed, the eerie moonlight dancing along the length of his lethal weapon, his movements practically a blur as he approached his enemies.

Instantly the men scattered, growling low commands to eachother before one leaped off to the side in an attempt to go assist their female captain. The raven-haired youth chose him, and with a devilish smirk cut him off from his destination. The shinobi grimaced as he brought his arms up in a protective position in front of his face, a pair of chakra-infused weapons in hand. They flared up with his dark, maroon chakra as he retreated a few steps back from the Uchiha, his earthy brown eyes quivering in poorly-hidden fear.

Then Sasuke was advancing, whipping his katana out before him, slicing away at the air in an invisible flurry of movement. Each time the man would whip his little kunais out and block them before retreating another step. Sasuke scowled at his fleeting movements, deciding on another tactic.

The black-haired youth leaped back backwards, and landed lightly on his feet a few yards back, his thin lips contorting into a wide smirk as his opponent took the bait.

The man, thinking that the Uchiha had been retreating, had made a futile little jab forward, and his weight had been thrown horribly off balance so that most of it was rested squarely on his front foot, leaving his back sourly unprotected. The raven flickered to the side and with one graceful manuever thrust his blade into the mans exposed side.

He fell limply to the ground as Sasuke withdrew his weapon from his flesh, his body hitting with a heavy thud. Sasuke wiped his weapon clean with the piece of cloth he kept tucked in his weapons pouch before sheathing the blade dryly. That shinobi had been unnecessarily easy to defeat, and he blandly hoped that the other opponents would be more challenging. He needed a good fight.

Sakura and an enemy shinobi suddenly came into view from across the clearing, just as her chakra-infused fist slammed into the man's gut, sending him sprawling into a nearby rock. The man spit up blood and clutched at his side as he muttered a loud string of profanities. He stood up slowly, and then the pinkette was upon him as they both fought their way out of sight.

Sasuke hopped up onto a nearby boulder to get a better look just as Sakura appeared once more from behind the rubble, her expression confident. "One down!" she said smugly, flashing a peace sign as she approached him. Sasuke narrowed his eyes as she neared him, whipping up his sword as he pressed its edge to her unblemished throat. Her hands flew up into the air in surrender, her expression surprised.

"Ah, Sasuke-kun, it's me—"

"_What was the challenge issued by Hatake Kakashi on the first day of our geninship_?" He shot at her coldly, ignoring her earlier comment.

"It was a bell challenge, and Naruto was there, and—" He held up a hand for her to stop and she grudgingly abided.

"That's fine; just had to make sure." He said lowly. The Haruno nodded.

"Did you—?"

"Kill one? Yeah. And the female leader and another subordinate are running around her somewhere."

"I'll take the girl," she said quickly; almost too quickly. The Uchiha raised an eyebrow but didn't comment.

"Fine. Meet back here, and if anything goes wrong just scream or something...." Sakura nodded once more as a large, feminine grin splashed across her features.

"I'll be right back, don't wait up," she said quietly before bounding off into the trees; out of view.

Sasuke tilted his head to the side slightly, watching her go. He felt like, as she left him, that she was taking a piece of him with her. Like something in his chest was being tugged to follow after her. It was an odd sensation, one that he'd never quite felt before..... It intrigued him. He hated seeing her just leave like that, without someone to protect her.

When they'd been kids, he'd always been around to keep her safe. He'd always kept a small eye on her, even if she didn't know it. But now he didn't trust himself with that job , he didn't believe he had the right to. He felt that she was too innocent and perfect for him, and that he was unworthy to even be in her presence.

He snapped to attention when he felt the hairs on his neck suddenly prickle with anticipation. He heard loud footsteps from behind him, and he turned quickly to face this new enemy.

The male subordinate stood across the rubble, his eyes a startling red. They weren't the deep crimson color of the sharingan; they were a bright and blood-colored, and filled with a feral rage that seemed to ripple up to his eyes through his venomous expression.

Then man started to laugh. Not a happy, joy-filled laugh; it was maniacal and crazed, something that seemed not to be animal but not quite human either. It sounded like a screeching hyena in his cackles, baying at its enemies in a half-crazed fashion.

Sasuke had absolutely no idea how to react to this strange individual. his expression was puzzled, his onyx hues void of emotion. He took a small step back, widening his stance while simultaneously drawing and raising his katana into a more defensive position. He would wait for his opponent to reveal his attack before making his own, just to avoid making any sort of miscalculation.

The man's skin suddenly began to bubble sickeningly. It contorted and twisted and turned a sickly yellow color as it rippled and changed shape. All the while the man kept cackling insanely, until finally it no longer sounded human at all. The man suddenly bent over himself into a tight crouch, abruptly hiding his face from view. Sasuke watched as the shinobi's hands grew bigger and bigger, and narrowed his eye as actual fur began to sprout up along the man's skin. Then, slowly, the creature lifted its head to shoot one hell of a menacing glare over in his direction.

Sasuke started right back, his mouth hanging slightly ajar.

The thing was _grotesque_. Sasuke found himself innerly recoling in digust from the monster, and an overwhelming desire to be sick suddenly wavered through his system. He, fortunately, was able to control it.

It's face had elongated so that the lower portion of it had developed into a stunted snout, and his once human skin was completely covered in a golden coat with oddly-shapen black splotches. His formerly normal ears had stretched upwards and were slightly pointed so that they resembled those of a twisted feline. His back was hunched over like an animals, his nails had turned to claws, and as he opened his mouth to amit a fierce and rippling growl, a sharp row of teeth flashed into the moonlight.

"_Arrrre you sssscarrred, Uchhihaaaa?_" he shrieked, his bright eyes glittering dementedly. Then he was charging forward on all fours, claws extended, expression crazed, fur flying.

Sasuke leaped into the air to avoid the lunge, watching as the creature started laughing again before launching itself into the air after him. Then the raven landed and bounded off to find higher ground, searching blindly for anything to give him the upper-hand—

And then something hard was slamming into him. He didn't have enough time to react, and suddenly he was sent sprawling through the air to smash against the nearest boulder. Blood was everywhere, splattered across the granite from where he had landed. The creature started laughing again, arms thrown up in the air in triumph—

The Uchiha's body vanished in a small puff of white smoke.

"_HAHAHA, why ever are you running from me, Uch-i-ha_??" he slurred into the night as he glared around him. "_Cat got your tongue_?" He started cackling to himself again, as if amused by some sort of inside joke.

Sasuke watched him blandly from his hiding spot, expression somewhat disturbed. The guy was completely _deranged._ Sasuke drew up his katana and pointed its end at the man's chest from his position in the treetops, carefully watching his enemy, always anticipating and watching....

_Perfect._

The Uchiha's hands flew in a flurry of handsigns as the end of his weapon suddenly started to extend and ripple with his signature blue lightning technique. He surged out of his hiding spot towards the opponent, his eyes ablaze.

And just like that, it was over. His katana had pierced the man's heart through and through. The man's rabid laughter was cut off as he slowly realized his fate, and he fell limply forward and off the blade. A bright white flash consumed his body, and he was suddenly human again. The Uchiha checked for a pulse, and after finding none, swept away to find his pink-haired companion.

* * *

The kunoichi could feel the blond's chakra signature flitting away just out of her range. She raced faster through the undergrowth, her vibrant emeralds scanning through the trees for any hint of the enemy shinobi. Then she felt the signature stop, just ahead of her, and Sakura quickly slowed, keeping each step as quiet as could be.

And then she saw that familiar golden rope of hair swinging about about ten yards ahead. The woman was hurrying forward before she suddenly turned her head, yellow eyes scanning around quickly before moving moving on. She had a kunai drawn and ready, and her body looked tense, like a coil ready to spring.

The Haruno felt a smug little smirk blossom across her lips, and without and sort of hesitation, she slammed her chakra-enhanced fist into the earth.

Yui was flung into a tree by the force of the impact. Downed trees surrounded them, and the once flat surface of the ground had been reduced to rubble and boulders, just like the clearing about a half-a-mile back.

Sakura immediately charged forward through it, her eyes focused on Yui's. The woman leaped to the side just as Sakura's fist came smashing into the tree she'd been leaning again, skirting away and landing lightly on a large piece of rubble. Sakura rushed at her again, both of her fists burning with her electric-blue chakra as she aimed punch after punch at the blond woman. Every time she woman would dodge, her thin expression turning smug. She glared right into Yui's glittering eyes, defiant and determined.

"Why—are—you—doing—this?!" The pinkette shouted between punches, her expression now betrayed and furious. She lunged again, and the blond twisted away, her thick braid flying out behind her.

"I am merely following orders, Sakura-san," her voice was lucid, calm. Her expression looked almost serene, despite the difficulty of avoiding Sakura's attacks. Yui danced away again, her movements carefully calculated yet amazingly graceful. And then suddenly the woman leaped farther than she had previously, just outside the small patch of rubble that the Haruno had created.

Sakura moved to follow, but found she was blocked by an invisible barrier, with Yui smirking at her from the other side. The kunoichi slammed her first into the invisible wall, but it was no good. Enraged she moved along the wall, her hands pushing against it, trying to see if there was an opening. Unfortunately, the barrier went in a complete circle around her, following the path Yui had baited her into following. She tried to leap up and over it, but her head hit the top of the barrier and she fell right back down. She looked down at her feet to find a shimmering blue line where the barrier met earth, circling her, imprisoning her. _Trapped._

_Damn it! _The kunoichi glared profusely out at Yui, hating the caged feeling that was creeping its way up her throat. She couldnt' believe she'd made such a careless mistake, and every inch of her being wished to explode at the bitch who had put her there. She swore under her breath, pounding her fists against the barrier endlessly.

"LET ME OUT!" she screamed, throwing herself at the barrier fruitlessly. Yui laughed at this, swinging her kunai playfully around her finger.

"Sorry, I can't do that," Yui purred back nonchalantly before alighting right in front of her, literally inches from the barrier. The Haruno grit her teeth, unable to attack. "Katsuo-sama said he wanted both of you alive, and I intend to follow his order exactly. Now all that's left is your boy— Ah, I take that back."

Sakura spun around, searching. Her optics zeroed in on his face, that perfect porcelain skin, his tousled raven-colored hair.... And then she really looked at him. His body was limply slung over the shoulder of one of the male shinobis, who entered the clearing with a triumphant expression in his eyes. Sakura's hues were wide with confusion as she took it all in. Had her friend and teammate, the unstoppable prodigy, her companion, really been beaten?! It wasn't possible, it wasn't even _thinkable_.

She took a staggering step towards them, hands flying up to her chest as the man approached, and that harsh scent of blood wafted over her head. She distantly heard Yui laughing loudly, maniacally.

And then the shinobi roughly tossed the raven's body towards her, and somehow it was able to pass through the barrier to land heavily a few feet from her. She scrambled towards him, watching in horror when he didn't move. She drew up next to him, falling to her knees, cradling his head in her lap, unaware that tears were starting to roll continuously down her cheeks to plop uselessly against his skin.

She checked for pulse and didn't find one. "Don't die, don't die, don't die, Sasuke-kun, don't _die_!" She murmured to him, charging up her hands with healing chakra and pressing it against him, willing his wounds to heal.

Everything was gone, her whole meaning was gone. He couldn't be dead. He couldn't be.... He'd just been next to her, speaking with her, looking at her... She felt like she was drowning, like the whole world was crumbling down around her and all she could do was stand and watch. She couldn't breath, she couldn't move—

She felt Yui's foot colliding into her back. She bit back a yelp as she hit the ground next to the Uchiha, tears continuing to bubble down the length of her face. And she felt another kick from the blond, but she didn't react. She didn't want to leave him, even in death. With a choking sob she realized how much hadn't changed since his betrayal so many years back, of how much she still loved him and of how much she couldn't stand to let him go. She wanted to be with him, she wanted to be able to protect him and keep him safe, and to be able to curl up next to him and feel his arm wrapped around her shoulders. She wanted him to hold her, she wanted to hold him back, to have him love her so she could love him too.

She was so selfish, so _worthless_.

She almost didn't feel it as Yui attacked her over and over again, nor did she care. She deserved to die, to be expelled from the world. How could anyone who was so weak deserve to live? Sakura inched closer to his body, curling up into a ball next to him.

She took his hand in hers and squeezed it before closing her eyes tight.

* * *

The black-haired youth sprinted through the trees, his liquid obsidian hues flashing as they darted about him, searching. He felt a sudden flare of chakra a ways off to his left, and he instantly banked in that direction. He leaped agilely up to the tree tops and continued to spring easily from branch to branch, eying the ground for any signs of both the rose-haired kunoichi and her opponent.

He stopped when he heard a voice. It was loud, arrogant, and definitely _not _Sakura's, echoing through the trees. Sasuke edged closer towards the source, parting a few branches to get a look.

He saw her, and nearly choked. Her frail little body sprawled out across the ground, her arms and legs covered in gaping bruises and scrapes. Her pastel-pink hair lay was disheveled and tangled about her head, covering her face from view. One of her arms was held away from her body, clutching listlessly at the air.  
_  
Fuck._

He glanced at the tall, blond kunoichi standing over her. The woman looked incredibly smug as she jabbered away into a radio transmitter in her hand, laughing maliciously when the person on the receiving end apparently said something to her. He listened in silently, trying his best to judge how to continue. He could just outright attack the woman and catch her by surprise, but what if Sakura got caught in the scuffle? His brow furrowed as he brooded over it.

"No, I suspect Haroi got him—" A pause.

"Yes sir. I'll wait here. Hai, Katsuo-sama."

He chose his moment and attacked. He lashed out his katana with venguence, the steel glinting in the moonlight as he nearly clipped off the woman's head. She dodged and turned to face him, but didn't have enough time to do much else, for he was already flicking his weapon forward again. She whipped out a chakra-enhanced kunai in an attempt to parry, but his blade shattered it and went on to pierce through her flesh, just below the shoulder.

The woman shrieked as he drove her against a tree, successfully pinning her.

"What the _hell _did you do to her?!

The woman sneered at him, and with one quick movement, he sliced his katana down and through her he turned towards the girl laying in the rubble. He picked his way towards her and dropped to a crouch next to her.

"Sakura!" He prodded her gently, hoping, _wishing_ that it was that simple. He saw her cheeks were streaked with tears, and how her whole body was trembling uncontrollably. He noticed how her leg was bent at an odd angle—broken—and how he knew that he'd be unable to fix it himself. He tried to wake her again, saying her name louder, poking her lamely.

She didn't come to.

He swore loudly, leaning over her body as to get a good look at her face. Her eyes suddenly flicked open, but they were distant and unoccupied. The lively green had grayed into a bland shade of beige, and he knew by the blank stare that she was in no way awake.

So he tried the only thing he could do. His eyes turned that daring crimson color as he activated his sharingan, for if it was a genjutsu, then he'd be able to break through. That, he knew for certain.

He felt that familiar feeling of falling as the power of his eyes infiltrated the girl's mind, leaving him to fall endlessly through the darkness of her thoughts until he reached _her_.

He was looking down on the same clearing that he'd just been sitting in, except the roles were somewhat reversed. _He _was the one who lay unconscious or perhaps dead, while _she_ was curled next to him, clinging to his hand and crying softly. Crying. _Sobbing_.

Over _him_.

"Sakura, wake up!"

He watched her, still trapped in the blond shinobi's genjutsu, looking wildly around for the source of his voice, her emeralds gleaming. And then her expression a lit with unstanding and she cautiously brought her hands together in front of her face, formed a single seal, and yelled.

"Kai!"

And then he was back in his body, watching her real eyes slowly open in front of him. He saw the rich shade of cerulean that swirled beneath the lashes, saw her look at him in wary confusion.

He realized that he'd been holding his breath and hurriedly released it.

She was _alright_.

* * *

CHAPTER 10! Hooray! And because last chapter was so short I made this one extra long. 3,800 words, try that on for size. :]

Sooooo, Sasuke-kun came to the rescue her in this one. Pretty epic. *cough* This all sounded a lot cooler in my head, and I really have no idea if I translated it well into words. ;w;  
Anyway, I hope you liked it.

So I just uploaded the first chapter of my NEW FAN FICTION called "Shattered" yesterday. It's another SasuSaku, and I've actually grown rather attatched to it. I got a couple friends of mine to read over it to see if they liked it before I uploaded it, and they all said they really liked it. (Thanks guys! ^^) It's a sad fanfiction, centered more around Sakura and Sasuke-kun's relationship rather than a more battle/action oriented fic. Anyway, first chapters up, and I'd LOVE YOU ALL forever if you would read and review it.

Thanks for reading! Please review!^^

-- xxIndigo


	11. Protector

**A Howling Love :.**

**Chapter Eleven xx Protector**

* * *

Everything seemed blurry and out of focus as the pinkette reluctantly blinked open her delicate hues. The first thing she was aware of was the intense pain radiating through her being, the most painful being from her leg. Without even having to looks she knew it was broken, and just knowing that lone fact sent small ripples of fear to flutter through her stomach. She could deal with other people's injuries without batting an eye, but when it came to having to assess and heal her own, it was a whole knew story.

She felt like she should know where she was, but for an odd reason she didn't. She struggled to remember, but nothing remotely understandable came to her. And then she felt something beneath her shift slightly, and she realized that she was being held in the arms of someone else.

Someone else..... And then it all came flooding back, and panic bloomed thick in her heart and it started hammering against her chest with the sudden rush of adrenaline. She tried to calm it, tried desperately to tell herself to cool off, but that subconscious fear continued to channel through her.

And then she felt something soft and delicate brushing her cheek, and she blinked repetitively, trying to get her world to focus.

She looked up at him slowly, her thin lashes brushing her cheek before revealing two glittering emerald hues. His deep, swirling obsidians met her halfway, surprisingly soft and gentle compared to their normally fierce aura. His expression appeared rather agitated and slightly concerned, two emotions that seldom appeared on his usually passive face. When her eyes connected with his however, a subtle relief melted through it, and he let out a brief sigh that caused his thick bangs to stir about his face.

Sakura made a move to sit up, but immediately found one of his hands gently restraining her.

"Don't try to move.... Your leg is broken, and I think your wrist and a couple ribs might be as well." His voice sounded small, quiet. Sakura groaned loudly, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Damnit." she swore loudly. He didn't say anything, and though she didn't look, she had the feeling that his expression would be apologetic.... For not being there. She grit her teeth.

"I had one job to do, and I _failed_." Her voice was malicious, loathsome. Her eyes abruptly opened and turned to glare off into space bitterly. He shifted his arms again, and abrupt pain splintered out from her leg. She hissed quietly, scrunching up her face as she tried to ignore it.

"....Sorry." She couldn't tell if he was apologizing about her failure or moving her. She assumed it was for the latter.

"Why are you apologizing? You, you _saved_ me...." she trailed off, fingering a fold of his white yukata that happened to hang near her hand.

"...Hn." She could tell she was making him uncomfortable, so she dropped it. A small, somewhat awkward silence ensued, until the Uchiha daringly broke it.

"We need to get out of here," he informed her dryly, his onyx eyes flickering towards her leg than back to her face quickly, an almost unnoticeable action. She, however, didn't miss it.

"I can try to walk—"

"No, you can't walk." It wasn't an opinion, it was fact. She gulped at his suddenly very serious expression. "Do you have any bandages or something to make a splint out of in your pouch?" His voice was loud, forceful. How fast he was able to go from being so gentle and passive to being so serious and broody was beyond the Haruno's ability to keep up with, so she just chose to roll with it.

She reached behind her with her good arm and unclipped her weapons pouch and cracked it open with one hand. She rummaged around for a bit before finally producing a role of pre-wrap and medical tape. "This work?"

He nodded slowly and took it from her before raising his head and glancing around quickly.

Quite conveniently, a pretty straight-looking stick lay just besides them. He snatched it up and looked it over for a second, then glanced down at the kunoichi leaning against his other arm. "Sakura?"

She glanced up at him curiously.

"I need my other arm..." She flushed scarlet at this, and nodded rapidly. "Gomen! Um, I'll try to sit up—" The Uchiha rolled his eyes dryly, and very quickly and fluidly shifted so that instead of leaning on his arm, she was propped up against his chest. Her scarlet features darkened to an even deeper shade, and she nearly forgot her many injuries in her utter embarrassment.

His chest was hard and strong, but not to the point where it was comfortable. He was still almost a head taller than her, and the way he had his whole torso curved protectively aove and around her. She could feel the individual muscles rippling beneath her as he drew his katana and carefully cut down the stick in front of her, creating a pretty legitimate splint in a few minutes. She watched him work contentedly, quietly enjoying the feel of the contact and of being enwrapped within his warm, masculine scent..

He prodded her gently in the shoulder, and she glanced up to see his extremely attractive face peering down at her. She blushed again, then turned her gaze, unwilling to meet those dark, curious eyes...

"We need to get this splint on your leg.... Or we can't really get out of here." She glanced down at her leg carefully, biting her lip. Her dark-colored spandex had a large darkened stain slowly spreading across the top of her right thigh, and could see a small, grotesque rising out from its center. She knew exactly what kind of break it was, and she sure as hell wished it had been any other kind. Compound fractures were the most painful and, lucky for her, the hardest to set. The kunoichi said nothing for a time, and then finally forced out a single sentence: "I'll do it."

He tilted his head slightly to the side and reluctantly held out the stick and bandages to her. When she didn't make a more to take them, he raised an inquisitive brow and just set it all down besides them.

"Need to set it first," she said softly, her whole body rigid. Scared. She took one very large breath and steadied herself, grasping either sides of her thigh with her hands, preparing herself both mentally and physically.

And then, quickly and smoothly, she yanked her leg down, and slammed her hands against its sides, thus pulling the bones that had pierced her skin back into her flesh and straightening tit into place, making a sickening snapping sound.

A strangled cry escaped her lips before she feebly collapsed against the Uchiha's body, her chest heaving with pants and shoulders shaking with muffled sobs. She almost didn't notice when Sasuke's arms suddenly wrapped around her shoulders, holding and comforting her. It surprised her, so much so that she turned around to cast him a teary-eyed look, but misjudged it and managed just to bury her face against chest. Surprising her yet again, his gentle embrace didn't slacken, so she slowly lifted her delicate fingers to cling pitifully to the folds of his shirts.

He gently rested his chin atop of her head, enjoying the faint smell of fresh strawberries that swirled about her perfect locks of cotton-candy-colored hair. And he just let her cling to him, gently holding her back, waiting for her to calm. He'd never quite experienced this sort of emotion before. He felt this surging pleasure in the feeling of having someone depend on him so profusely, and he felt this wave of protective instincts kicking in as he realized that it would be his job to protect this person.

That it would be his job to keep this person out of harms way. It didn't matter how hard he'd fought in his days with his Sound master to break his bonds with her and the rest of Konoha; nothing had changed. That overpowering need to keep her safe was still there, as it would always be. It had become part of who he was long ago, and no amount of persistence would ever manage to completely lock it away.

He delicately touched her elbow, and already knowing his question, she nodded reluctantly.

Then, very carefully and silently while she was pressed up against him, he took the bandages and flat stick and quickly fastened a makeshift splint around the broken bone in her thigh. He felt a few long tears splash across his shirt, but didn't comment on them.

The two of them just sort of sat like that for a time afterwards. He, sitting with his arms wrapped protectively around her, respectively letting her get over her pain, and she clinging to him while fighting to ignore her pain.

It's a shame that all good things must to an end.

* * *

Sasuke noticed it first as always. Sakura had known something was wrong when his whole body suddenly went stiff around her, and she cautiously detached herself from him, glancing up to meet his tense stare.

"Sasuke-kun?" she asked softly. He shook his head, and she quieted and turned back around so that her back rested comfortably against his chest again. She listened to his heart for a moment, finding a soothing rhythm in its steady beating.

And then his eyes were on her again, glittering fiercely and venomously, and Sakura found a weightless fear soaring through her being. Suddenly she was being lifted off the ground, gently and smoothly, and she cringed when a sharp pang erupted from her thigh. The Uchiha scooped her up bridal style, one hand supporting her around her shoulder blades, the other hooked beneath her knees.

"What's going on?!" her voice was wary and panic-stricken, and she craned her neck to try to get a better look around the clearing. Her own chakra reserves were dangerously low, and she hadn't the energy to check for any threats that may be approaching. So she trusted the black-haired youth and curled in towards his chest, again trying to calm herself with the relentless hammering of his heart.

"Don't worry about it, just try to rest or something..." He said the words distantly, his mind obviously on the task of getting them out of there, so she shut right up, unwilling to be a hindrance.

And then they were off.

His running was graceful and agile, even through carrying her. He managed to avoid jarring her often, so she was able to keep her soft moans to a minimum. Whenever she let one escape however, he would slow his pace and look down at her in his arms, and she would try her best to crack and believable smile. Though he would nod and continue on in his normal pace, she knew that he didn't buy an ounce of it.

She heard distant rustling and crashings, and her whole body froze against his. She glanced cautiously up in an attempt to catch his gaze, but he was looking away, his dark eyes strained as they darted about them, completely on edge.

It was getting extremely close, and Sakura shrunk closer to him, hating the useless feeling that sunk through her gut. She couldn't stand the inability to fight or even walk on her own. She wanted so bad to jump up and fight with him, to be able to benefit him in some way...

And then suddenly Sasuke skidded to a halt, his grasp on her tightening. She allowed him to pull her close and tried to strain her neck to see what was happening, but suddenly he was turning, sliding his stance around so that his shoulder curved slightly in front of her in a protective position, and her vision was blocked. Then a strange male voice purred out from somewhere in front of them, out of view; thick and serene, with a deadly little hook that scent rabid shivers racing down her spine.

She hesitantly peered up at the black-haired youth, and almost recoiled in her shock.

His expression was feral with rage. His sharingan were already activated and narrowed, his teeth ground together and fixed in a loathsome scowl. His whole body was literally shaking with malice and hate, and she could feel it in the less gentle and more forceful way in which he held her that this was one rematch that he'd been itching to have. Without even having to see the foe, she knew immediately who it was.

Katsuo.

And by the sounds of it, he was alone.

* * *

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to **Tiger Priestess **for her incredibly thoughtful and kind review. It was one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me, and it does not go unappreciated! She is the main reason behind this fast update! Thanks Tiger! :]

And thanks everyone else who was kind enough to review last chapter. And though I really shouldn't have to say it, no flaming, please.

This chapter is full of lovely fluff with a OMG TWIST at the end. *cough* For those of you guys who haven't yet, do take a peek at my new other fic, _Shattered_. It's very dramatic and full of SasuSaku loveliness, ( Or at least it will be once I develop the plot a little bit.)

Please review and thanks so much for reading! :]

-- xxIndigo


	12. Stop

**Howling Love ::.  
**

**Chapter 12 xx Stop  
**

* * *

The Uchiha was torn between two choices of epic proportion. He felt like a deer caught in the headlights, his mind unable to process information as the two sides came barreling at him. He felt his chakra roaring to life through his veins, preparing itself without having to be told for the possible fight waiting just around the corner. His adrenaline started pumping, his thoughts scattered again.

He strained to collect himself, his hold around the kunoichi in his arms tightening slightly.

Again he was able to retrieve his thoughts for enough time to look over them, and his brow furrowed in his deep concentration. The two overbearing options seemed obvious enough; he could run or he could fight. Running would pose a larger probability of keeping Sakura out of harms way, but it also came with the possibility of being outrun and then having to fight.... He couldn't deny that he wanted to fight Katsuo.

Sasuke needed to fight him; he needed to rip his revenge from the masochistic and vile excuse for a man that had torn _him _apart so many countless times.

His own verdict had unconsciously flickered towards staying and fighting it out.

He glanced down at the broken kunoichi pressed again, suddenly at a loss. He couldn't force that decision on her, because her life was balanced quiet precariously on the potential outcomes. So he gazed down at her warily, searching her wary expression for any sort of answer he could get from it. Her quiet emerald orbs met his eyes slowly, fear evident in their gem-like depths. He hoped desperately that his question was evident enough across his expression, for he just hadn't the heart to ask her with words.

She surprised him though when her head nodded slightly, and then she curled closer to him before giving a weak flinch when it jarred her injuries.

So Sasuke took a careful step back, his steaming obsidian eyes locked bitterly on his enemy. He set her carefully down besides a nearby tree, his expression tightening as she winced from the movement. He stood straight afterwards, his hands balled into tight fists at his sides. A contented smirk suddenly flashed across his features and he took a brief saunter forward, katana whipping out in front of him at its usual lightning speed.

Sakura tried to prop herself up with her good arm, but only succeeded in falling awkwardly against the tree again. So she tiredly gave in to it, her eyes glued to the duo in awed transfiction.

The raven looked completely in his element; standing in the offensive combat position that he had so easily assumed. His katana was poised, his crimson eyes darting, and his expression calm and calculated with that cocky smirk so perfectly placed across his lips.. The man she presumed was Katsuo stood across from him, standing evenly and _just_ as arrogantly. His eyes were a soft hazel color flecked with a vibrant, lime-green that seemed to glow greedily, matching the cocky grin that he had plastered across his tanned face. His hair was a wispyr blond that swirled about his head like a crown before twisting neatly into a short braid that he had slung over his right shoulder.

Definitely _not_ how the Haruno had imagined him. She'd pictured someone much older, and perhaps more muscular as well. Katsuo was lean and fit-looking, but hardly muscular. His shinobi get-up was jet-black and sleeveless, exposing the rippling muscles in his arms. Hundreds of separate summoning markings were permanently tattooed to his skin all along their lengths, skimming only the top of this man's extensive jutsu library. He cast this dark, foreboding aura around himself that seemed extremely intimidating to the kunoichi, which, needless to say, didn't help to qualm her growing concern for the Uchiha.

She never wanted to see him get hurt for her sake. That would be too much for her to bare.

The enemy drew a large _nodachi_ sword from a sheath tethered to his hip, his smirk doubling in size. He gripped the thick hilt of his blade in both hands before swinging it easily in a blatant display of his apparent skill. Sasuke didn't seem to have noticed.

"It's a shame that you had so much _dead weight_ holding you back, Sasuke-_kun_," purred Katsuo finally, his voice deep and silken as he cast a disapproving glance in Sakura's direction. His eyes glinted sharply as if amused. "I wouldn't have been able to catch up if you'd just left her behind like any other sensible shinobi would have, but then again, you_ are_ one of the biggest _weaklings_ in the bingo book."

And then it started.

The ear-splitting, metallic clash of two lethal weapons pierced through the trees, followed by the distinct, electrical chirping of the Uchiha's signature move and an odd, grating sound that accompanied the enemy's jutsu. Bright swathes of bright-cyan and an unhealthy orange splashed across the clearing as the two opposing chakras collided and crackled. Sakura fought to keep her head up, to watch and support the raven as much as she could, but after waves of intense nausea began wafting through her system, she no longer had the energy to fight it.

She slumped to the ground with a dull thud , her eyes fluttering shut. She was just too _damn_ weak.

* * *

Sasuke managed to land a solid hit, causing his blond opponent to sprawl roughly against the nearest tree. The Uchiha didn't react to the momentary victory and remained in place, breathing hard as he fought to collect some his last strains of energy. He was exhausted, and apparently so was Katsuo. What had once been an elegant display of jutsu's and strategic fighting had turned into no more than a fist fight. They'd been fighting for what seemed like hours, and neither of them had enough chakra left to continue expending as they would have liked.

Both of the shinobi were drenched with sweat and had obtained an unhealthy amount of bruises and scrapes that littered their battered skin. While Sasuke was harbouring a badly twisted ankle and a few minor burns, half of Katsuo's face was unrecognizable due to him barely escaping one of the Uchiha's fire moves.

Sasuke slumped to the nearest tree, leaning heavily against its charred bark to get at least some of his weight off his right foot. He hadn't the slightest idea how he'd gone and screwed it up so badly, but it hurt like hell and that was all he really cared about.

Katsuo hadn't bothered to rise from where he'd fallen against a tree across from him. He had his head thrown back as he stared listlessly at the lightening sky, an obnoxious smirk still plastered across his expression.

Sasuke's face hardened as he glowered at the blond. Even through exhaustion his hatred towards this man was unmeasureable. He wanted him dead, wanted him to feel the pain and terror of that cold dark cell hundreds of feet below the ground...

His anger was suddenly consumed by mute horror as he _felt_ it.

It was reeping across his skin like living ice that seemed to choke the life and warmth from his very being. It forced its burning touch through his limbs just beneath the surface of his skin, ripping and shredding as it went. He let out a auible groan as his hands shot up to claw at the little mark on his neck that had begun to grow to swiftly, expression pained. His cursemark had chosen to act up at precisely the wrong time. It hadn't bothered him in ages, why the hell now?!

He felt it claw down his back and at the muscles in his arms, and his head began to swim as those usual dark thoughts began to sift around through his head.

He suddenly couldn't think straight and, knowing it was the only way to escape, he reluctantly willed the mark to spread faster, just to spare him the firey pain. It quickly obligued, and before he could react, his skin had turned that sickly gray color that went with his _other_ form, and that familiar, unworldly rage and resentment abruptly seared through his surging veins.

It wasn't really him, but at the same time it was. The curse seal doesn't really change a person, it merely takes pre-existing feelings that from the deepest regions of your being and amplifys it until it completely consumes you.

Usually, Sasuke let these feelings take free-range when he was fighting in this form, but now.... He glanced back at the pinkette, who lay curled against a tree a few yards away. Her eyes were clamped shut, her skin clammy and pale, her breathing labored....

If he let himself go now, she might get caught in the fray. Or he might chase so fervently after his revenge on his enemy that it would be too late to help her, too late to get her the medical attention that she so desperately needed.

The youth's head felt like it was going to explode. He clenched his teeth, his now sharpened canines cutting harshly into his lip. He felt the muscles and skin on his shoulders ripple and swell as his wings began formed, and felt his hair growing longer and shaggier about his head. By then he knew it was too late.

He just wasn't strong enough to hold it back.

Sasuke turned his eyes on Katsuo now, his once conflicted frown turning up into a deranged smirk. The blond jumped warily to his feet, flipping out a chakra-infused kunai as his eyes took in the feral edge to the Uchiha's expression. They widened as they saw what had become of the highly-esteemed Uchiha, shock written clearly across his features...

And then he too smirked, resting his arms on his hips arrogantly.

"Your true colors are finally revealed. I'll admit, it _is_ pretty impressive, but was it worth the life of your petty companion?" He cast a dry look at the kunoichi before flicking his gaze to the Uchiha, his hues glittering.

Sasuke lunged, his wings propelling him forward at an inhuman speed as both of his hands sprang up with blue lightning.

His hands closed around the man's throat, slamming the guys body against the nearest tree. His goal was in reach, he felt so powerful; so inconceivably powerful... He tightened his grip, and he feel the weak struggles of his prey began to slacken as his life was strangled out of him slowly and painfully.....

He heard a feeble little cough and he whirled, keeping one hand tightly around Katsuo's neck as he scowered for whatever enemy had dared interrupt his moment of triumph.

Sakura was staring at him, her mouth held slightly open, her eyes wide with shock. Her lips moved faintly as if to say something, but no sound emitted from her throat. She looked like she was fighting back tears as she choked up words. He stared at her in advent shock, his coal-black eyes frozen.

"Stop it... Sasuke-kun....stop...please."  
_  
Just kill him. Just do it, don't listen to her. Give in to hatred, just _kill _him. Just do it._

His grip slowly subsided before he roughly tossed the man to the side. Right then, he felt more like an animal than he ever had as a wolf. He felt like some sort of idiot hunter whose prey had just slipped out from under his nose. He felt cheated and spiteful, and rage started building like fire in his throat...

He hastily turned away, his teath ground harshly together behind closed lips. He then swiftly approached the kunoichi on the ground, his liquid obsidian searching her expression for any sign of consciousness. She was completely out, and when he pressed a finger to her brow, he found that she was burning up with an unusually high fever. He swore loudly before scooping her up; careful not to jostle her more than he had to.

The raven heard Katsuo moving about somewhere behind him and he turned to glare bitterly at the man he'd so easily let slip through his fingers. He took one last, fleeting glance at the man before he charged his feet up with chakra and spread his demonic-like wings, and with all of the strength he had left, he slammed his wings down, propelling himself into the air.

With a couple beats he was above the tree line—but barely. His wings couldn't take the extra weight, and he was straining just to keep aloft. He clung to the winds that whipped through his clothing, trying desperately to find one strong enough to keep him and the kunoichi up... He felt muscles and sinews in his wings give several, gut-wrenching snaps, followed by unworldly pain, but he bit his lip and climbed higher, battling gravity with all he had left..

Out of nowhere a current picked up, pushing him easily forward as it rolled over his skin. At first he teetered off balance and dropped a few feet, but as it pushed him forward he eventually righted himself out. He then shot off easily with the new boost, rocketing off towards the faint signs of a village he could see in the distance.

* * *

The current kept up at a good pace, and he rode its winding course through the sky with as much speed as his chakra-deprived body would allow. He focused his efforts on Sakura as much as possible at that point, for she wasn't at all in good shape. She moaned and twisted in his arms frequently, her face a sickly pale while her eyes, when she opened them, were sallow and bloodshot. The bandages they'd used to make her makeshift splint were dyed a rich crimson, and her whole body was wracked with constant shivers and trembles, though her fever continued relentlessly.

the Uchiha youth tried to keep her awake, knowing now that rest wouldn't be enough to save her, and that she needed to keep her heart beating for as long as possibly, which meant staying conscious.

"Sakura, stay with me here." He said quietly before he lightly tapped her cheek. Her hoarse breathing hitched as her eyes cracked open warily.

"Sas....uke?" It was an almost incoherent mumble, but he responded to it regardless.

"Hn."

"Always...so.....talkative." A small wisp of a smile crept across her lips, though it quickly died. Her eyes slowly began to close once more, and he touched her cheek again.

"Stay awake. Ask me questions or something, keep your mind occupied." His voice was low and serious and lined with an inescapable fear. She sensed it and curled tighter against him.

"Any....question?" Her whisper, as quiet as it was, had just an ounce of surprise to it. He forced a reluctant smirk as he nodded.

"What happened..... to you....before..." Her eyes started to close again and he prodded her. They fluttered open again and she slowly continued.

"Before......Katsuo.....tricked....you." She coughed in a breath, snuggling in deeper against his chest as she waited for an answer to her fragmented question. His expression darkened.

"Something else." He felt her move her head slightly sideways against his chest, a feeble attempt at shaking her head, and it didn't take much to make him cave. He hadn't the slightest idea how to answer her question, but words slowly bubbled to his lips and he spoke them. He told his story in choppy pieces, his tone sporadic between cold and dark, and soft and gentle. This was the first time he'd told anyone, and if felt strange to be so willingly spilling his story to another person. But he continued anyway, knowing that if anyone ought to know, it was her.

* * *

A/N: :D Originally I tacked on his story at the end, making this chapter a whopping 4,000 words. I decided that that the story could use a bit more fleshing out and could definitely stand as its own chapter, so I decided to take it out. So expect a relatively speedy update because I have the majority of it written already.

Thank you everyone who reviewed last chapter, you guys are all very sweet. :]

I have a lot going on school wise for the next couple weeks due to the approaching Finals Week, so please be patient for updates! :D

Thanks for reading and please REVIEW!

-- xxIndigo


	13. Lost

**Howling Love ::.**

**Chapter Thirteen xx Lost**

**

* * *

**

Retelling his story was like picking up hundreds of different-colored threads and trying to combine them into a single being. His life was so complicated, and every small segment was unique and different, spare the single topic that remained constant throughout. Pain.

He'd always ignored the question of whether or not leaving the Leaf had been a good choice, shoving it out of his mind when it dared to enter. He gained so much power every day with the Sound, how could that ever be considered a bad thing?

But all of the side effects, all of the misery that accompanied the rapid increase in strength; was it worth it?

There had been nights at the Sound compounds where'd been so beaten and broken after a round of training that he'd gone for entire weeks without waking up. The first thing he'd see when he finally did wake up would be strange seals and machines surrounding him, and an oxygen wrapped around his face.

Though it happened pretty often, it always came as a surprise to wake up to that and have Kabuto lecture him on the importance of not overworking. Fuck you, Kabuto. Fuck _you_.

He won so many battles after that, despite the hardships. He defeated Akatsuki members without too much problem, outran countless platoons of enemy shinobi, battled and beat the eight-tailed jinchuriki, killed his brother....

That's where it started. He had relative control over his life before that. Events bled into eachother, secrets were revealed, countless new ambitions made themselves known to him, and everything became a mass free-for-all spinning wildly beyond his own jurisdiction. Things came flying at him at inconceivable speeds, and he was constantly ducking and diving to avoid them.

Then life seemed to take a sudden breath and go in slow motion from there; like the hands of his life's clock had been overworking themselves so had decided to take a momentary break. Yeah, his life had gone on just with a different sort of tick. He'd fought more fights. He'd travelled more travels. He'd battled more battles. But the spark that he had always had to follow his fleeting ambitions had vanished along with Itachi's demise, leaving him empty and motive-less.

He relied more on instincts rather than intellectual thought during that time-frame. He'd rarely spoken before then, but afterwards it went to an extreme and conversing with his team were scant if not non-existent. Without any sort of leadership to keep them together Hebi had eventually disbanded, spare for Suigetsu. The Mist nin needed help collecting his petty swords, so Sasuke lamely obliged.

He'd followed Suigetsu around for a time, helping out whenever his teammate needed it. Suigetsu managed to get his hands on six of the seven swords he wanted, and they spent a good couple months searching for the seventh. After deeming it permanently missing, the two eventually split. Suigetsu went to a town in the Land of Rain, seeking medical help for the strange condition Orochimaru had put him in. Sasuke took to the north, seeking something to distract his wandering mind....

He moved around in the Ice Country aimlessly for weeks, avoiding towns and any sign of civilization like the plague. For as hard as he fought to hold them up, the walls of his life continued to crash in on him. The bitter cold bite of the Ice country did little to push away his roiling however, so after a time he forced himself to return to the Land of Fire. He convinced himself it was because his body craved a warmer climate, but deep down he knew it was because of the bonds that still tethered him to his former village.

He'd gone right up to the border of Konoha; stood just outside its open gate in the pitch of night. He'd stared into into the streets with a distant look for a good hour beofre quickly turning and leaving, for some reason angered at the sight of his old home.

He stayed near the border from there on, moving from town to town like some sort of fugitive with no clear destination in mind. He had a chance encounter with Hebi shortly after that, and for the heck of it they joined up once again and carried on as a slightly-dysfunctional teams, just like old times.

It, unfortunately, was a short-lived reunion. They were attacked by what they'd thought to be bandits the next day, but who Sasuke learned later was really just a troupe of Katsuo's. The enemies had been weak and hardly trained as shinobi, and Hebi would have aroused victorious if not for the sudden surprise that was in stock for them in the end. Some sort of elite, genjutsu master revealed himself to them and took down Karin and Juugo without batting an eye. He reduced Suigetsu to a puddle shortly after that, and had rounded on the Uchiha in a flash.

That was the first time he'd lost a fight in ages. Somehow the opponent had managed to get in the Uchiha's head, and all hope of escaping had disintegrated from there.

Apparent Juugo was able to get up, however, when the idiot enemy was celebrating, and the Hebi member managed to bash him over the head, knocking him out instantly. Suigetsu and Karin sat right up, free of damage with their minds free of the jutsu. Sasuke's was free as well, but he didn't rise.

The damage had already been done.

His whole life had been picked and manipulated through like some sort of open book by the enemy, and it'd left him feeling cold, empty, and overbearingly vulnerable. That some stranger had so easily defeated him and then proceeded to go through all of the personal secrets and moments that he had locked up in the deep crevices of his mind... It made him feel weak and insignificant; a fact that he couldn't even fathom, let alone understand.

He remembered his team hovering around him, asking him if he was alright, a disgusting coat of pity lining their every word. He remembered sitting up violently, lashing his hand out at them and catching a cheek before abruptly standing and leaving. He never knew who he'd hit, only that their insistent need to feed him their sympathies him edge had shattered the thin layer of ice that he had once been so delicately balanced on top of.

And now he was struggling and thrashing to keep himself afloat, but the ice that once served as his lifeline was slowly and painfully drowning him.

He'd taken off in a dead sprint, refusing to look back and admit to his mistake. He couldn't afford to swallow his last bit of pride.

The Uchiha kept up in his relentless pace for miles. He finally cooled down after having reached another region entirely, where he'd stumbled into an old seaside town and warily made his way into the nearest bar.

One drink later he woke up in a cell after being comatose for a week. Funny, really, how life does that.

* * *

A long silence followed his slow recountment, and he found himself scrambling for something to keep his eyes on. Watching her slowly wilt away in his arms was maddening, and he was already flying as fast as he could as it was.

Sasuke took a quick glance down at the kunoichi in his arms, his deep onyx eyes searching hers for any sort of reaction. Her hues, surprisingly enough, were open, but they weren't looking at him. They were staring distantly off into the clouds surrounding them, void of all its usual vibrancy. They slowly fluttered up to meet his gaze and a quiet smile crept across her lips.

"Arigatou.....Sasuke-kun..." she mumbled before falling back against him weakly. He stared at for a moment, a question bubbling to his lips, but he bit it off abruptly.

For now he would let her sleep; they were almost there.

* * *

Sasuke's small story. Sorry for its shortness, next chapter will be much longer. Thanks for reading. :]

Please review! ( More reviews=faster updates, more thoughtful reviews=better updates. )

Thanks! :D

--xxIndigo


	14. Sacrifice

**A Howling Love ::.  
Chapter 14 xx Sacrifice  
**

* * *

The sun was beginning its long descent across the late-afternoon sky, casting a rueful orange glow to splash noiselessly across the myriad of hazy clouds drifting solemnly overhead. The wind was beginning to pick up as well, and its wintry tendrils rippled through his loose clothing, chilling him right down to the bone. A particularly strong breeze gusted through the flaps of the dark youth's wings, propelling him up a few feet before precariously dropping him back to his previous flight plane. It died down suddenly, and the Uchiha plummeted downwards dangerously before another gust caught him and spurred him onwards once more.

The sporadic winds were becoming _unnerving_.

His observant mind had pinpointed a small, civilian village nestled in between two small hills a while ago, and he would have liked to say that he'd been flying steadily towards it by his own free will, but all he was really doing was letting himself be pushed and pulled along by the prevailing winds; he just hadn't the strength to do it himself. He'd never felt so wholly tired in his life, and he gauged he had about two or three percent of his chakra reserves left, and it was slipping away fast. If the winds continued to toil away in this bipolar fashion....

The thought of ever reaching the small village ahead was becoming more and more of a fading glimmer of hope.

As if in retort to his qualms the wind picked up to an icy gale that shot him forward at an alarming speed before swiftly vanishing, just as it had before. This time, however, it made no indication of picking up again.

Raw panic swept through his system as he fought to right himself, searching blindly for the wind that had so loyally carried them this far. His wings felt like dead weights, and he fought to keep aloft, but gravity's hand tightened forcibly around them, and suddenly they were dropping like stones through the air.

His consciousness flickered out for a second, a thick veil of sleep threatening to consume him until he shoved it roughly away. Help was so close, just another half-mile more, yet he knew he would not be able to make it. A sinking sort of disgust twisted darkly in his abdomen as he realized that he had _failed_ her. He had had one task; to protect the fragile kunoichi and transport her safely to someone who could heal her. He'd done neither, and now they were going to die, and there was nothing he could do to prevent that.

He felt a feeble pressure against his arm and his obsidian eyes slanted down to cast a fleeting glance towards Sakura's unhealthy and pale face, and with a jolt he realized that silent tears were leaking down the lengths of her cheeks, brimming through her closed lids to splash helplessly against her battered and torn.

No.

The earth was rushing up to meet that at a disturbing rate, and with his last ounce of energy and willpower the Uchiha managed to flip over and unfurl his folded wings. He stretched them as wide as his already-ripped tendons and muscles would allow, using them like paper-thin sails in a desperate attempt to slow their fall.

They slowed, but only moderately, and he knew despairingly that it wouldn't do them much good. He rotated so that he was facing away from the ground, holding Sakura above him so that his back would break the fall, and he vainly hoped that she'd make it out okay.

He glimpsed rooftops and shop signs, a dirt road with villagers walking up and down its length. He bitterly hoped one would be able to come to Sakura's aid in time, to make the sacrifice he was about to make at least worth while.

All at once he was crashing through the first layer of canopy, cruel branches piercing and stabbing at his skin. He smashed through several larger branches, his body completely limp as he fell. His body finally breached the barricade of rough branches and he slammed into the earth at unthinkable speed, his head reeling back as he was rammed against a nearby tree by the sheer momentum of his impact.

Pain so violent that he could scarcely fathom erupted from his spine, and his mind went completely blank. He choked in a broken breath, a blinding white light abruptly exploding from behind his eyes as his ability to see utterly vanished. His head lolled back once more, spurring another twist of fiery pain and could help but to let loose a strangled shout. He felt the dull weight of the kunoichi in his lap fall to his side and a set of distant shouts and footsteps quickly approaching.... A soft smile crept across his pained features as his onyx orbs fluttered shut.

_You'll make it, Sakura. I know you will._

* * *

The Fifth Hokage snatched up her bottle of sake and took an over-exaggerated swig before wiping her cherry-red lips with the back of her sleeve. Her normally vibrant and perceptive hazel hues were slightly dulled and were heavily glazed, an obvious indication to her drunken state.

It had been a full month since she'd seen her rose-haired apprentice. And a full two weeks since she'd sent out Shizune and a few other chosen individuals to the outskirts of the Fire Country to search for her her.

Tsunade fingered her desk urgently as she scowled at her looming piles of paper work. She had an entire medical dispatch team on hold and ready to go to transport her pinkette student if the need called for it, and she had another team of elite ANBU ready to be issued forth at a moments notice if Shizune called for back-up. Yet the blond woman still felt completely helpless. She missed the old days, were if she wanted something done, she could go out and do it her damn self. As the Godaime, however, she couldn't barely leave her office without one of those obnoxious Council members breathing down her back.

She slumped back in her chair and revolved it slowly so that she could face her sprawling village. She fingered a single loop of her golden hair idly as she gazed up at the darkening sky. Rain had begun to fall in a soft drizzle before gradually melding into relentless sheets, and the lady kunoichi signed hoarsely, her expression leaking of her maternal concern.

All she could do was wait.

* * *

The petite kunoichi sluggishly crept from her peaceful cocoon of slumber, the distant hum of some sort of monitor buzzing into her conscious like an unwanted parasite. She squeezed her eyes shut, clutching at the thin layer of sleep that was steadily receding away from her, unwilling to greet the new day.

The Haruno hesitatantly stretched out her mind, passively becoming aware of her surroundings. She was lying on a warm and comfortable hospital bed with a luxurious pillow tucked beneath her head, and what felt like an oxygen tube strung beneath her nose. Her arms were folded neatly over her stomach, one of them cleanly bandaged while the other was wrapped up in a stiff splint. Her torso was completely wrapped up in thick layers of bandages beneath the oversized hospital gown that adorned her. She also felt another larger cast completely encasing her right leg, and a sickening feeling dropped into her abdomen as she remembered the painstaking process of setting said wound.

A blistering hysteria flooded her veins as her mind flickered over the fact that she hadn't the slightest idea where she was and how she'd gotten here. She knew for a fact that she certainly wasn't in Konoha, for the hospital there had beds that were much less comfortable than the one she currently lay in. Had Katsuo overtaken them? Had he taken her prisoner? Had Sasuke left her behind?

_Sasuke._

Her jade orbs flew open as the perfect image of his face came crashing into her mind, and her gaze darted warily, frantically searching for that familiar, porcelain face and his deep, dark eyes... She was met with an empty hospital room. There was her bed, a nightstand next to it with a fresh pot of roses, several chairs sitting across the room, and a single door leading out into an apparent hall. She heard people bustling around outside it, and she tore her eyes away from the small window set into the the top of her door to stare listlessly at the closed curtain.

"Where....he...?" Her voice came out as a barely audible mewl, and she struggled to raise her voice, trying desperately to see if there was a nurse or anyone else who could help her.

She heard voices suddenly from outside the door and she turned her head stiffly, searching blindly for the source. The handle of the door began to turn and blanched fear raced through her core as she cautiously shrank back into the blankets that enveloped her. Then the opening burst forth and a face that she very much recognized came swooping in towards her.

Short-cropped black hair, a kind reserved face with dark, observant eyes that were alight with relief and overwhelming concern, a tight kimono and traditional-style shinobi sandals.

"Sakura-san!" Shizune rushed towards her, her face delighted yet at the same time exausted and extremely stressed. The pinkette forced an empty smile.

"I'm so glad you're alright! Everyone's been looking for you for days, and Tsunade-sama has been beside herself. We were all so worried, and—"

"What....happened?" her voice was dry and groggy, and she thumbed the hollow of her throat sluggishly before swallowing, suddenly overwhelmed with an intense thirst. Shizune automatically moved and brought down a small glass of water that had been resting on her bedside table and handed it carefully to the pinkette, waiting for Sakura to finish drinking before making her reply.

"The doctors here said that you fractured you fractured your femur, broke two bones in your wrist, cracked a three ribs, and have a mild concussion." Shizune's voice was even, like she had recited that in her head a hundred times over. Or perhaps she was just repeating exactly what the doctors had told her. Sakura shrugged the thought off.

"This is a civilian hospital, so none of the nurses here are trained with chakra control, so unfortunately we can't get you healed here, but I just sent a messenger hawk to Godaime-sama requesting a medical dispatch team to get you to the Konoha Hospital safely where _proper_ doctors can take a look." Shizune cast a disapproving look at the now closed door, pursing her lips.

"Shizune-san?"

"Yes?"

"How..." She bit her lip before starting again. "How did I get here? I only remember... parts."

Shizune visibly stiffened before shifting uncomfortably next to her.

"Well, some villagers found you unconscious in the forest just outside the gates, so they brought you here." The black-haired woman's speech was fragmented, and she glanced awkwardly off, fingering the hem of her kimono uneasily.

"Was I with—?"

"Yes. He's downstairs." Shizune met her stunned gape with a pained look before making her way towards the window and carefully opening the curtains. Outside a harsh rain pattered against the dripping glass.

"Terrible weather, we're having—"

"Is he alright?" Sakura glared at the woman that she had always adored, her expression hard.

"Pardon?"

"Sasuke, is he alright?" Her voice wavered between calm and hysterics. Shizune didn't return her gaze and only continued to gaze distantly out the fogged window.

"Sakura, you really should get some rest—"

"NO! Just _listen_ to me. Where is he? Why aren't you telling me? Is he hurt? Please, Shizune!" Her voice faded to a whisper and she retracted into her pillow. Her body was beginning to ache all over as her pain killers began to wear off, and she was aware of a stabbing hurt in her chest when she breathed. She, however, didn't care. She wanted answers.

"I saw him before I came up to see you..... He didn't look so good." She bit her lip before seating herself carefully on the side of the bed, her tired expression surveying the pinkette quietly before continuing.

"His spine is shattered... The doctors here suspect that, if he wakes up, he won't walk again."

_He won't walk again._

_Spine shattered._

_Sasuke._

* * *

If anyone was wondering, when I asked on one of the first chapters whether or not there should have been a happy or sad ending, there was a resounding push for a happy ending. The would-have-been sad ending should be becoming pretty obvious to those who are observant. D:

The ending to this fiction is looming over my head, and it's making me really sad. ): I love this fic, and I love all of you guys who read it and leave such kind reviews! I don't want it to end! TT___TT Only a few more chapters to go and my baby will be all done. *le sob*

I realized when I was writing this that I was getting dangerously close to the current situation in my other fic. I must have an odd fetish with writing sad/dramatic/whatever hospital scenes. Maybe its 'cause I watch too much House. o__O;; I'm weird.

Expect the next update to come on Christmas Day! It'll be my present to all of you, and if you don't celebrate Christmas, then it can be my early New Years gift. :] HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!

Please REVIEW and thanks so much for reading!

--xxIndigo


	15. Safe

**Howling Love::.  
Chapter Fifteen xx Safe  
**

* * *

The pinkette kunoichi felt a strange wetness seeping down the length of her cheek, and she reached up a tentative hand to wipe it away, only to find that she was crying. Her resolve buckled and she clamped down her upper jaw over her bottom lip, struggling to hold back the wave of sobs that threatened to crash through her feeble defenses. All at once she was sobbing terrible, heart-wrenching sobs. Her shoulders shook violently as she wept into her hands, which resulted in a harsh pain erupting from her within her chest, but she didn't pay any attention to it.

She curled into as tight a ball as her bandages and splints would allow her and pulled her thick blankets over her ears, trying desperately to hide her tears from the black-haired woman, wishing that she was strong.

For she wasn't crying for herself, or her village, or her sensei.

She was crying for her teammate, for the man who had sacrificed all he had ever worked for for her. The Uchiha prodigy had put everything on the line to protect her futile existence, and it was completely her fault that he was so badly hurt, her fault that all of the power and skill that he'd worked so hard to attain were now utterly worthless.

She bit back another swell of fresh tears, staring heavily at the wall in an attempt to cut them off.

How could she _do_ this to him?! Sasuke without his ability to move.... It was like a hawk, torn of his precious wings, a fish of his fins. He'd be a broken shell of his former self, nothing more than an empty husk without any real purpose. The thought of seeing him in a wheelchair shattered her carefully-constructed wall, and fresh tears began to trickle forth from her glimmering jade hues.

"Shizune?" Her voice cracked and wavered, ringing clearly of the pain and sadness that was flooding through her veins.

"Yes?" the woman murmured in return. Her voice was soft and gentle, a voice that every inch of Sakura's being wished to run up to and hug and bury her face in and cry her heart out to. She refrained, however, battling to keep her own voice even.

"This is....all my fault. I did this to him, he can't.... he won't......" Tears splashed down her face once more and she was wracked by sobs again. She felt a cool hand brush her shoulder as Shizune carefully seated herself beside her, running her fingers along the pinkette's soft skin.

"Sakura, both of you fell from a great height, and while you broke your leg, he hurt something else—"

"My leg was already hurt, he was trying to get me _here_...." A cold feeling rippled down Sakura's back, and slowly she realized what must have happened. The only way she could have come out of that fall unscathed would be if he had used himself as a shield, landing purposefully on his back to keep all force of impact away from her.

"He was protecting me." She buried deeper into the sheets, unwilling to meet Shizune's gaze. The woman rubbed her shoulder again in an attempt to comfort her, but it failed miserably.

"It's not your fault, Sakura. He did it off his own free will; he chose to do it. You can't take the blame for that."

"If I hadn't gotten myself hurt he'd be safe and unharmed! How is this _not_ my fault?! He can't walk!"

"Sakura, stop being a pessamist—"

"I'm being a fucking _realist_. It's my fault, I did this to him, and he—"

A loud beeping sound emanated from Shizune's hip and the pinkette kunoichi snapped her head around, glaring frostily at the walkie-talkie for interrupting her. The black-haired woman didn't make a move to answer it and only continued to gaze dotingly at the young Haruno.

"Aren't you going to answer it?" Sakura's voice came out as a harsh snap, venom seeping through each word. Shizune sighed and nodded before standing and bringing the device up to her ear.

"Hello—?"

Sakura strained to hear the faint murmurs of the opposite line, but was unable to pick out the words. Shizune's expression, however, said it all. Her skin paled and her mouth was held slightly agape, and her dark eyes were wide with a shell-shocked horror.

With a flurry the woman was rushing out the door, walkie-talkie still pressed to her ear.

"What happened?!" Sakura's infuriated yell carried pretty well, and the dark-haired woman stopped at the door and turned slowly to give her a single, fleeting glance before disappearing without a word. The pinkette slammed her fists into the mattress, yelling uselessly at the door, raw concern bubbling up into her throat as all of the worst possibilities began to storm through her conscious.

She couldn't bare to look at the facts. He had to be alright, he couldn't be dead.

_....if he wakes up...._

She shuddered, hugging the pillow beneath her to herself, silent sobs wracking her weak body.

* * *

She waited for an eternity, it seemed. Every time someone would pass her door she would sit bolt upright and stare uneasily at the closed door, only to listen as the footsteps came and passed, leaving her alone and terrified in the hollow hospital room.

A nurse came in at one point and adjusted her IVs, and asked her if she needed another dose of morphine. Sakura mutely refused, but after the nurse left she felt a bit hazy and knew that the nurse hadn't exactly listened to her request.

She remembered falling asleep shortly after, much to her disdain. She wanted to stay awake, just in case Shizune came back. She desperately wanted to know what was happening and hated being kept in the dark.

She slept fitfully, thanks to the drugs.

* * *

A low knock woke her from her slumber, and she groggily rose to a sitting position. Her face was red and her eyes slightly puffy, but she pretended not to notice when the door cautiously opened.

An ANBU member revealed himself, bowing lowly as he entered. He wore the usual ANBU get-up, complete with those usual, pale bracers, pads, and an animal mask. His mask was that of a lynx with long red lines representing his whiskers and mane, and small triangles jutting out for ears. The two circles that he had for eyes revealed a set of creamy, coffee-colored orbs that looked surprisingly sincere, which caught the kunoichi off-guard.

"Miss Haruno-san, I apologize for disturbing you." He bowed his head again and Sakura nodded carefully, waiting quietly for him to continue.

"Has anyone besides an authorized hospital personal entered this room within the last hour?" The man's voice was even, unemotional. Sakura raised an inquisitive brow.

"Shizune-sama came in some time ago, and nurse came in a little while ago. Why?" Sakura asked guardedly, her emerald hues scrutinizing the man before her darkly.

"I am not permitted to tell you, and again I apologize. Thank you for your time, and please return to your rest, Haruno-san." The man bowed again before flitting out the door, gone. Sakura bit her lip, anxiety running like hot lead through her being.

She sat alone in her bed for a good hour before she was disturbed again. This time, however, it was a concerned-looking male doctor who entered quietly and carefully, only going as far as to peek his head around the door, the rest of his body remaining hidden behind the door.

Upon seeing that she was quite awake and glaring lividly at him from her spot on her bed, he spoke in a somewhat nervous voice.

"Sakura-san, I'm so sorry for coming in like this, but I think this belongs to you."

The man pushed the door wider with his foot, revealing his arms and the small, little thing that he carried within them.

It was a jet-black bundle of fur and paws, curled into a tight ball within the doctor's gentle cradle. It lay on its back, its long face buried into the crook of the man's elbow and its large paws tucked right in comfortably. It's tail was curled protectively around its middle, laying unnaturally still beside its body. It's eyes were screwed shut in obvious discomfort.

Sakura felt her heart throb and instantly reached her arms out, tears brimming over the rims of her eyes as almost-incoherent words bubbled to her lips.

"_Thank you_." Her murmur fluttered out as she gazed at the creature in his arms.

The doctor carefully deposited the still wolf in her arms where she gathered him up quickly, cradling the limp body gently to herself. She buried her face in his thick fur and ran her fingers repeatedly through his dark pelt, silent tears leaking into his wild mane. She could feel so clearly his body shaking pitifully beneath her fingers, the uneven beats of his heart, and the tickle of his hot breath against her cheek.

He simply lay her arms without any sort of struggle, and she held him, pure relief and happiness serving as the only emotions swirling about in her being. She smiled into his fur, closing her eyes quietly.

"I found him hiding under a table in the lobby, and what with all the ruckus going on downstairs, I took him up here to find his owner, and sure enough the first door I come to and he started whining." The doctor smiled warmly, genuine pleasure spreading across his tanned face. "I think he might be hurt, so I'd take him to the vet whenever you get the chance."

"Thank you." Her voice was louder than before and full of a thick sincerity. The doctor nodded simply before turning towards the door.

"Wait." The doctor turned towards her again as she spoke, a questioning glint in his bright eyes.

"What's going on downstairs?" She tilted her head slightly as she continued to stroke the creature in her lap, her jade orbs never leaving the canine's face.

"There was a patient in the ICU that went missing about an hour ago. He baffled all of the nurses because he was supposedly unconscious with a several major injuries." He paused, fingering the end of his shirt thoughtfully.

"Needless to say, all of the Leaf Shinobi that arrived are frantic. They suspect he got kidnapped, or perhaps something worse. The doctors in the emergency room know more about it than I do though, I apologize. Please get some rest, Miss, and I'm glad you've got your dog back."

The man nodded kindly before exiting, clipboard in hand. The kunoichi nodded to herself as she returned her full attention to the sleeping creature before her.

Sakura rubbed the wolf's ears affectionately before moving her other hand along the ridge of his back. He whimpered quietly when she neared the middle section of his spine, and upon reaching it, he yelped loudly. She moved her hand back to his ears and continued petting him, pursing her lips.

She then slid her hand down to his hind leg, where she fingered one of his padded paws. He didn't seem to have noticed.

"Sasuke-kun?" The wolf didn't stir, but he rumbled a low grunt in response.

"If you can feel this, make a sound, okay?" He didn't move, but she knew that he was listening. So carefully she moved her hand along his back paw and prodded it sharply. She looked at his face expectantly, fear roiling about in her abdomen. Paralysis renders any nerves useless, so if he couldn't feel her prod, then that particular outcome was unavoidable. If he didn't feel it, he wouldn't be able to walk. Ever.

Slowly a low rippled past through the creature's lips, followed by a short movement from the paw she had touched. Instant relief flooded her as she buried her face and hands into his fur once more.

He was safe in her arms, and this time she would be the one to protect him.

* * *

I said I was going to update on Christmas, but I literally finished writing this within a few hours of my last update, and I figured it would be really mean to not post it. I'll whip up the next one for the special day, I promise. :]

*cough* guys are all dense, loveable POO-FACES. D: I said like ten chapters ago that I was going to make this a happy ending, must I repeat myself? HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY. xD  
And yes, the romance will start kicking in pretty soon here. Don't you impatient peoples worry. :]

Please REVIEW and thanks for reading! :D

--xxIndigo


	16. Haze

**Howling Love::.  
Chapter 16 xx Haze**

* * *

At that point, she wasn't really thinking what would happen to them and to tell the truth, she didn't much care about it either. Konoha's policies and council and silly methods of enforcements could wait, because she was thoroughly enjoying the moment and had no intention of worrying herself into a useless puddle over it. So instead she sat back and let the soft pitter-patter of the rain lull her into a fitful slumber.

Sakura dimly remembered running her fingers through the Uchiha's mane for what seemed like hours before then; affectionately playing with his ears, smoothing down his disheveled pelt, and simply holding his furry warmth to herself. When she sought to lower herself from a sitting position so she could sleep, he would slowly readjust, placing his head over her abdomen while the rest of his body lay unmoving beside her. He slept the whole time without making as much as a single noise, and his lidded eyes remained closed in a calm serenity.

She lost the ability to fight against the haze of the morphine sometime after that, and she slowly let herself be pulled into the appending darkness.

* * *

He hadn't expected so much _pain_ to be involved with dying.

It was excruciating, and every agonizing moment seemed as if it were being extended into a piercing eternity. He felt like he was being repeatedly stabbed and ripped and suffocated and burnt and frozen all at the same time, and all he could do was writhe in agony inside the swirling depths of his mind as he steadily slipped deeper and deeper into the closing darkness, all light ripped away from him. He couldn't get away from it, all he wanted to do was block it out and be at peace, to escape the endless _pain_. He backstroked away from it, seeking any sort of warmth or pleasure in vain attempts to distract him from the raging darkness and pain.

Then a tremor of a memory rattled through him, and he found himself utterly surrounded by a single image; a face. A small, petite female face with a pair of glimmering, intelligent and incredibly perceptive jade orbs and a cute, little feminine grin bloomed across her pale face like a beautiful flower. He felt her rippling locks of rose-colored locks running through his fingers and the feeling of her thin frame resting comfortably against his own...

That's when he started fighting.

He clawed his way towards the light, kicking back the dark that clung fervently to his heels. The pain intensified, but he ignored it, for he wanted so desperately to taste that feeling again. His incessant greed was fueling his will to live, because he wanted _her_ that badly. He wanted to see her and hold her one last time before his light went out, and he was going to cling to existence until that final wish was granted, right until the very end.

He slashed his way into consciousness with a final heave, and reality hit him _hard_.

the Uchiha youth was laying face-down on an frigid operation table, frenzied beeping and loud and frantic shouting and yelling raging like a storm about his ringing ears. People were moving rapidly around him, touching and prodding him and poking him with their sharp tools.

An oily, crimson liquid was everywhere; it was all he could see, pooling beneath his cheek, dripping past his blurred eyes, running down his violently-shaking skin and mingling with the cold sweat that dwelt there.

Then horror grasped him as he felt something cold and unbearably sharp slice down the length of his spine and suddenly a wave of instincts kicked in and he was thrashing away from it, gritting his teeth as explosions of pain fired off from his back. He felt hands slam down against his arms and the back of his neck, forcing him down with much more strength than necessary. The mess of doctors and nurses rushing about him were shouting and moving around again, and he felt someone roughly stab a sharp syringe into the thick of his arm in the midst of it.

He hissed audibly before crashing down against the table again, panting loudly as he felt an odd plastic contraption be shoved over his mouth.

Then, slowly, it began to melt away.

* * *

He woke up to a much different world.

The dark-haired youth was leaned up against the back of a large hospital bed and his entire body felt surprisingly numb, spare that single, shattering throb centered around the center of his spine. A large series of IVs and tubes sprouted from both the hollow of his throat and his forearms, and the odd plastic contraption was still covering the majority of his face, feeding him a steady supply of oxygen. A hard and solid brace was strapped around his middle, which was putting an uncomfortable amount of pressure on his back. Another splint, though noticeably more comfortable, was strapped around an ankle. He let his head fall limply to the side, fighting to keep his eyes from closing as he surveyed the blurry room surrounding him.

Someone was staring at him.

His lids drooped heavily and he struggled to see who it was, but all he managed to do was keep them open a sliver, which wasn't quite enough to distinguish who it was.

"Finally awake?" The male voice sounded slightly amused, which seemed a bit ironic considering the Uchiha's current condition. The man sounded a bit bored as well, yet underneath that mask there seemed to dwell a fair amount of inconspicuous interest. Sasuke recognized the speaker, yet he could not quite put a face to it.

He heard faint footsteps as the individual approached him, and the Uchiha glanced up in an attempt to steal a glimpse of the person's face, and he was met with a rather dull surprise.

A thick head of disheveled, gray hair met his gaze, followed by a tilted forehead protector that covered the man's left eye and a familiar mask that covered the majority of his face. His revealed eye looked slightly saddened, yet at it had this soft glimmer of sincerity that seemed oddly out of place.

"You gave us all a pretty good scare, Uchiha." Hatake Kakashi's voice retained that bored and amused tone, and he seated himself comfortably on the edge of the bed before staring off at the wall glumly.

Sasuke let his head fall back against his pillow warily, his expression indifferent beneath the oxygen mask. He didn't reply, and his old teacher frankly didn't expect him to.

"You scared all of the nurses at one point too, when you woke up. I wasn't actually there, but the recountment sounded funny enough." The Copy-Ninja chuckled lightly to himself as he pulled out one of his explicit books. Sasuke watched him guardedly, his lids fluttering sluggishly. Leave it to Kakashi to try to make light conversation out of a shitty situation. He watched as his old teacher nonchalantly flipped out a small orange book and began leafing through it, his brow furrowing in a dull concentration.

A short silence ensued in which the jounin simply read his explicit novel while Sasuke drifted in between the conscious and unconscious worlds. Finally movement at the end of the bed a while later woke him, and he turned his head slowly, his eyes slowly rising to see what had caused it.

The former ANBU member had his book rested on his knee and was staring thoughtfully into space, his single eye distant.

Sasuke coughed into the mask, closing his eyes as the movement spurred another lapse of excruciating pain. Using all of the energy that he had stored he warily stretched his hand up and hooked his fingers around the elastic band of the mask, then let gravity pull his arm back down with the string in hand. The contraption fell easily from his face and he cautiously allowed a brief sigh to pass through his paper-thin lips as the fresh air engulfed him.

Something about breathing real, substantial air just felt good.

"I'd keep that on, Sasuke, unless you wanna take a trip down to the morgue." Kakashi glanced back at him, his dry humor sparking no sort of reaction from the half-asleep youth.

Sasuke's lips cracked open as if to say something, but he was unable to conduct any sort of sound. Kakashi surveyed him silently before pocketing his book once more.

"You're lucky Shizune-san was here, your heart almost stopped on several occasions.... The new generation; always reckless, but I suppose that's unavoidable." Kakashi stared off into space dubiously, arms crossed in faux concentration. His former student continued to watch him carefully, his onyx hues narrowed.

"And my students are especially careless, it seems." Kakashi cast him a wry grin beneath the mask. Sasuke stared at him distantly, his consciousness slowly fading again.

"A medical dispatch team is arriving shortly to pick up Sakura, so I'd better be off to meet them..." He stopped when he caught a sudden glint flicker through the Uchiha's expression, and he chuckled lightly.

"She's fine, Sasuke..... Thanks to you." The Copy-Ninja nodded to himself, fingering his chin thoughtfully. "I had the villagers who found you two fill me in. Quite an uncharacteristically-valiant effort, if I'm not mistaken." His dark eye glinted as he surveyed his former student, smirking beneath the mask.

The man approached the dark-haired youth suddenly while reaching his hand into the depths of one of his many pockets. He brought his hand back out carefully, and resting daintily in his gloved palm was a beautiful, silver chain with a familiar clan symbol dangling loosely from its end.

The Hatake dropped the necklace in Sasuke's lap, his eye suddenly twinkling.

"Upstairs, room 108."

And then he was walking towards the door at a brisk wave, only turning around to send him a short wave before disappearing. The Uchiha watched him go, rolling the small, metal fan around in his hand, deep in thought. Then, quietly, he slipped his hand through the chain.

LINE

**A/N: **MERRY MERRY MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!! And a HAPPY HANUKKAH and HAPPY EARLY NEW YEAR!!!! I hope everyone has a fantastic day, whether you're spending it with family or friends or kicking back by yourself.

I had my own little Christmas miracle (lol) thing this morning when my little twerp-of-a-brother woke me up at like 7:00am, I was sifting through my closet for my favorite pair of sweats and I found my SASUKE PLUSH. I was ecstatic, 'cause I lost him about a month ago. ): I really don't like to advertise my Narutard-ness, and besides an old Ed Elric key-chain he's about the only anime-related thing I own, so I was a bit upset when I couldn't find him one morning. But he's safe and cute and his duck-butt hair is as spiky as ever. :]

Oh and yesterday, I was at a cookie decorating/Dane Cook watching party thing with a couple friends, and there was another cool little thing. I put down my frosting-covered spoon on my plate to grab some rainbow sprinkles, and when I picked the spoon back up again the sprinkles that were just laying around on the plate had stuck to it in a perfect SMILIE FACE. We must have taken like fifty pictures lol. xD

Anyway, I hope this chapter cleared up some questions you guys might have had, and if not here are the procedures in which to follow:  
1. Perhaps read back a few chapters to see if it was already explained  
2. Read my authors notes (they're there for a reason guys...)  
3. Ask yourself; is my question a question that will most definitely be answered in the next chapter? If so, I probably shouldn't ask, should I? :D  
3. If these all turn up negative, either ask me in a review or a private message, and I'll be happy to answer. A lot of people have been asking stupid, (yes there are such things,) questions that I must hae answered over a dozen times throughout this fic, and having to reply to all of them is getting tedious. Sorry!

Again MERRY CHRISTMAS, thanks so much for reading, and please REVIEW! Bye! :D

--xxIndigo


	17. Glances

**Howling Love  
Chapter Seventeen xx Glances**

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"How the hell could you have let this happen?!"

It was becoming quite clear to both of the male teammates that their third member, Shizune, had most definitely adopted many—if not all—of Tsunade's characteristics over the years of her apprenticeship. Though she typically came across as a shy and passively reserved young kunoichi, the dark-haired woman was in fact incredibly outspoken when she wanted to be, and unless it was in front of her teacher, she was never at all afraid of voicing her many opinions, as unwanted as they have been.

The gray-haired Kakashi surveyed his temporary teammate dubiously before shifting his weight casually against a short coffee table in the lobby so that he leaned easily against it, his arms crossed in a nonchalant fashion across the chest-plate of his green chuunin vest. His single eye, though at first glance appeared bored, was in fact wrought with a strange uneasiness, as if he some sort of inner battle was causing him a great deal of thought and attention. This aura, however, swiftly vanished when his fellow male teammate cast him a slightly raised eyebrow, and the Copy-Ninha reluctantly returned to his apathetic facade.

Nara Shikaku, his teammate, scrutinized him critically for a moment, a slight wisp of amusement playing across his features before his acute and perceptive eyes darted back to snatch a an annoyed glance at the woman standing before them, his expression then abruptly turning stony and serious. The criss-crossing scars that were carved deep into the skin of his face gave him a sort of menacing air when he took on that sort of stern silence, and his now adamant body language portrayed a man who had his ideas and opinions locked, and in no way would he be deterred from them.

"Shizune, calm down, and think about this for a second. Being a woman doesn't give you a license to have a panic attack every time something the least bit problematic occurs. If you can't keep yourself together, than you have my permission to send yourself back to Konoha."

The dark-haired woman's mouth hung slightly ajar, her expression wide with shock and her furious indignancy. She blinked rapidly, her eyes narrowing in raw anger as her small hands curled into fists. She quickly closed her mouth before opening it once more, eager to spurt a venomous retort.

"And being a man doesn't give you a license to completely ignore a teammate when they're trying to think logically about a situation—"

"Logically?!"

"Yes, logically, and how dare you make such an accusation—"

"We're not playing in your turf right now, Shizune. This isn't some hospital were you get to make the rules; this is a serious mission. Tsunade-sama allowed you to come only because she needed a medic out here to help her student, and seeing as Miss Haruno is already being looked after, you're not really needed. As the captain, I am free to dismiss you as necessary. So either you cool it, or you're going home. Understood?"

The woman stared at him in complete shock before her expression caved in with her building rage. She bit her tongue however and did not speak, though her shoulders continued to shake with resentment and her fists never quite unfolded. The team captain examined her emotionlessly before moving to address both teammates.

"As of now, we don't have the man power or the orders from the Godaime to conduct any sort of retrieval mission. So what matters right now is the completion of our current mission; getting Haruno-san to the Konoha hospital. When the medic team arrives we'll send a request back to Konoha requesting an ANBU squad to execute a retrieval that. Sound appropriate?" The man directed this question at Kakashi, completely ignoring their female accomplice.

The gray-haired jounin shrugged mildly, expression indifferent.

"The safety and retrieval of a nukenin that's been gone for as long as Uchiha Sasuke has is hardly worth the time of Konoha's elite shinobi, Shikaku-san." He rolled his shoulders boredly before shifting his weight, seemingly immune to the dagger of stress that had sliced its way through his teammates.

"By now he's probably leagues away, and it would put our men at risk to have them out in the field chasing after a missing nin when so many questions are still out on the table. We don't have enough information for a retrieval team to go by, and it would be impossible to clock how many men might be needed for the job, what rank those men should be, and what the possible dangers could be during the mission. To put it simply; we have no leads, and it's pointless to pretend like we do. I suggest that we take care of Sakura and just let this one go."

A feral Shizune rounded on the jounin, unable to keep her rabid tongue.

"Kakashi, have you no idea what that would do to Sakura?! How the hell do you think she'll take it if we told her that the man that she loved has suddenly vanished and that there's nothing anyone can fucking do about it?!"

"Shizune, I hope you aren't forgetting that she was once my student, and that I know her just as well if not better than you. She's a strong girl, she'll be fine."

Shikaku slanted his eyes towards his fellow male, brow raised in a passively questioning glance. Kakashi's eye crinkled in a wry grin, though he quickly hid it when the female looked his way.

"Do not put words in my mouth, Kakashi. I know Sakura is strong, but she's already had so say goodbye to that traitor once—"

"Shizune-san." The woman froze as her name was spoken by the captain, her teeth gritting together bitterly as she bit off her words. She glared profusely at both men, seething with fury. Shikaku ignored her and pressed on.

"The medic team is going to be here any minute; I'm going to go wait for their arrival outside. Kakashi, prep Sakura-san for the trip. Shizune, come with me. Got it?" With that the Nara had turned and was trudging warily down the sterile hospital hallway without waiting for replies, his expression blank.

Shizune stomped furiously after Shikaku, her petite fists clenched against the sides of her kimono.

The gray-haired jounin slipped his orange novel back into his pocket quietly before slowly moving towards the large staircase, his brow knit together in deep concentration as he sought to complete his orders.

* * *

He pushed open the mint-colored door slowly, wishing not to wake the duo he knew to be sleeping peacefully within. He quietly poked his head around the corner just to see the state of things inside and his expression visually softened.

The pinkette kunoichi was curled into a loose ball on her side, her shimmering, pink-pastel hair falling in lose rivulets about the throng of sheets and blankets about her thin body. One of her delicate hands was tucked neatly beneath her flushed cheek while the other was draped comfortably through the thick mane of the wolf that slept at her side. The dark creature had itself buried warmly between the girl's body and the layer of blankets she'd evidently pulled up for him, his face burrowed into the crook of her elbow and thus hidden from view. The canine was evidently fast asleep; his proud head resting easily across his forepaws, his shoulders slowly rising and falling with each intake of breath.

It was cute; how the female's body curved naturally around the wolf's form, and how he fit so snugly next to her.

The kunoichi stirred suddenly, a small indent forming between her eyes as she furrowed her pale brow in slight concentration. She was so warm, so perfectly at peace, yet she couldn't help but to wake to that eerie sensation that someone was watching her closely, causing small ripples of anxiety to crawl up the length of her spine, and she cringed inwardly. Her grasp tightened around the handful of charcoal fur that she had intertwined through her delicate digits as she guardedly opened her eyes. She felt the thin body beside her tense against her torso, and she quickly loosened her grip in his mane and chose to run her hand smoothly across his gleaming coat, hoping that would lull him back into his previous sleep. Only then did she choose to glance up and meet the curious eye of her spectator.

"Kakashi...?" she moved to prop herself up on her elbow, but he waved a dismissive hand and she gave up on that and instead remained on her side, idly stroking the creature now sleeping comfortably next to her. Suspicious daunted on her as she scrutinized her old teacher, her emerald orbs narrowing.

"The one and only. Expecting someone different?"

"No, I just didn't expect_ you_ to be here...." She trailed off awkwardly, eyeing the jounin cautiously.

"Shizune didn't tell you?" The former ANBU raised a questioning eyebrow and frowned when the Haruno hesitantly shook her head.

"She, Nara Shikaku and I are in charge of you, as it stands. We arrived a few hours after you did, actually. Lucky too, Shizune's medical experience saved your leg, among other things."

Kakashi shrugged mildly before making his way around her bed to look bleakly out the misted window. He then turned around casually and leaned against the window frame, his arms crossing easily over his chest. She watched him warily, wondering blankly why he hadn't even mentioned the wolf next to her.

"High-tempered woman, and she's in a particularly bad mood today. I doubt she's going to let you keep Fido." The jounin chuckled dryly to as he glanced at the wolf. Sakura turned white.

"Anyway, I'm supposed to talk to you about how you're getting to Konoha hospital, but seeing as you work there, I can assume you know how that works?" She nodded in the affirmative.

"So I'll skip that and move onto something more important. Our favorite Uchiha suddenly vanished from his hospital room downstairs a couple hours ago, though I have a hunch that you already knew that." The shinobi's voice remained bland and uninterested as he trudged over to her bedside and surveyed the dark creature casually. A sigh rolled from his masked lips as he gave the canine an affectionate scratch between the ears.

The wolf's ears flattened instantaneously against the back of his neck before one cautiously perked up and swiveled around to listen to the strange intruder. The gray-haired jounin heffed a sigh before straightening up once more.

"You should bring him with you when the medic team arrives, you never know when a guard dog might be useful. Konoha's big, open spaces will do him well, as opposed to the dark alley life of a stray." The man trailed off pointedly before picking up the threads again, his voice twinkling with an odd sort of merry amusement.

"Plus adoption policies there are more forgiving than you may think, so he shouldn't have too much problem getting settled."

The former ANBU member yawned audibly, his dark eye examining the dark creature closely before averting away towards the window.

The Haruno sat up on her mattress, propping herself up on her elbows as she gaped at her gray-haired teacher. Her already-pale face was even more chalky in her utter fear, and her jade eyes were wide with badly-suppressed shock.

"How-?"

"'A good magician never reveals his secrets.'" The jounin tapped his head lightly, chuckling beneath the mask.

"But how—?" Sakura stumbled out.

"Maybe another time."

"Kakashi!"

"Relax, Sakura. I'll explain when we get you two back to the village; don't stress over it."

A furious series of knocks from the door disrupted their short conversation, and a disgruntled Shizune bustled through, her expression hard. The pinkette snuck a sideways glance at Kakashi to see his expression droop considerably.

Behind the woman was the tall and serious Shikaku and three shinobi dressed in pure-white garmets with identical red crossed emblazoned across each of their chests. Sakura felt butterflies fluttering about in her stomach as she realized that the medics were here to pick her up, and that the warm luxury of the bed she lay in and the wolf beside her were about to be torn away from her.

Her master's assistant was the first person to break the following silence, and it was with great reluctance that the pinkette listened to her high-pitched words.

"Sakura, you had several severe infections following your injuries, why on earth would you bring a filthy dog into your bed?" Shizune sighed as she took her place at the foot of the bed, her arms crossed curtly over her chest. Sakura slipped a quick glance to Kakashi in a silent plea for help, her pale expression dripping of raw panic.

"I apologize, Shizune, I found him outside and thought Sakura could use some company." Kakashi's eye closed in one of his fake grins as he slipped in in Sakura's rescue. The kunoichi slanted him a thankful glance.

"Well she can't take him with her, the transporting jutsu only works for humans. Put him back where you found him."

"Ah, Shizune-san—"

And then the warm bundle was being lifted away from her. She felt instantly vulnerable without his prescense next to her and she glared venomously up at the culprit, only to replace the expression with one of gratitude when she saw that it wasn't Shizune, but Kakashi who'd picked the Uchiha up, and that he'd done it extremely gently as to not wake him. Sakura opened her mouth to speak, to deny him of his taking of the slumbering creature, but his expression took up a sudden hard edge, and she decided against speaking.

The jounin nodded to her faintly, his dark eyes twinkling before he returned his full attention towards the medic team, as both his teammates were. Sakura shifted uncomfortably on the mattress beneath her, her pale expression concerned as she followed his gaze.

The medic team took over from there, much to the Haruno's distress. It was a pretty simple transportation process, but unfortunately it involved standing, which was a near impossible feat. Two of the three members of the small squad managed to hold her up however while the third placed various seals and tags around the others. Finally the remaining member finished up and stood before her, his bland expression looking somewhat skeptical. Sakura matched it with a discomforted frown.

"This will only take a moment, Haruno-san. We will arrive in Konoha Hospital shortly." The man passively bowed his head before launching off into a complex series of hand seals, and then very quickly, Sakura felt a strange tugging sensation at the bottoms of her bare feet.

The odd feeling grew suddenly in intensity before moving up her legs, and she snaked a glance up at the other shinobi in the room, her glittering jades searching longingly for something to hold on to.

A tired pair of gleaming obsidians intercepted her gaze, gazing at her with their normal stoic and serious aura. The dark orbs seemed to swell around her as she gazed into their smoldering depths until, slowly, they fluttered shut once more. She felt an immense comfort ripple through her being at having his godlike eyes being the last thing she saw before leaving. She felt, though she had no clear idea of what the future would hold, that it would somehow work out; that life would mend what it had so brutally shredded, in the end.

Then, swiftly, she was tugged away into another place entirely, where a new beginning would inevitably arise.

* * *

**A/N: **HAPPY HAPPY (late) NEW YEARRRR! WOO!

So I've basically just experienced the most hectic and dramatic week of my life. And now I'm exhausted and I have one more day of break and I am going to DIE because of all the fucking pre-cal homework. UHHHH.

Anyway, so basically my friend finally got serious with this guy and they are officially dating. (finally) So he comes to our new years get-together thing with her, which was fine, but he didn't think ahead, so afterwards he had no ride home. (I'VE GOT MY LEARNERS PERMIT OK?! WORKING ON IT. D:) And so he was going to come with us to another friend's house where we were going to crash for the night and he was going to sleep in another room (awkward. very awkward) and then parents got wind of that plan and started acting like parents.

I, at this point, was totally not in the mood for the drama (as usual) so I went back to my house with my bestie. Apparently, as we heard later, it didn't work out. We didn't press for more info.

The next day I was talking with the friend who just started dating that guy, and she had to hang up because apparently some person she knows from tennis(which surprisingly has a lot of drama for a sports team) was being especially stupid and almost got herself pregnant. So my friend was driving around trying to help her out, and that was one big mess that I somehow got dragged into.

And I had some weird stalker send me like 100 texts yesterday. Freaked me out.

Oh and my best guy friend wants to ask me out. Classic scenario where I LIKED BEING FRIENDS and now its going to be awkward because I def DO NOT see him in that way. UHHHH. UHHGGGGGG! D:

Oh ya, and I've been running on no sleep for the past few days because of all of the late-night phone calls and texts. It's killing me.

I'm unused to the drama. Sorry for ranting, I needed to get that out. ____;;

---

Anywho this chapter was actually finished the day after Christmas. And then I realized that the whole beginning part made absolutely no sense so I redid it..... I still think its bad. D: Sorry! I guess my mind is still fuddled from all the sparkling cider? Haha, I dunno.

Expect more fluff in the coming chapters. :] I'm excited, I love writing those kind of scenes.

Thank you SO MUCH for reading and please REVIEW! Thanks!

--xxIndigo


	18. Smiles

**Howling Love  
Chapter Eighteen xx Smile  
**

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* * *

**

It had never quite stopped raining, since that day. Whether it was a hard and pounding thunder of droplets or light sheets of drizzle, the world was forever bathed in a damp mask, most of its usual beauties and wonders hidden away beneath murky puddles. Yet new marvels were starting to poke their way to the surface, enjoying the new-found moisture as they did with every coming of winter. Though it was the darkest and coldest part of the year, it also one of quiet beauty and of sparkling renewal.

Haruno Sakura, however, was sorely missing winters redeeming qualities. She was one who preferred heat; a child of the sun. She longed to feel the natural warmth of summer beating down on her pale skin, yet she knew no amount of wishing and waiting would ever speed its arrival. Seasons, unlike the rest of her life, were constant and and predictable; she knew when they would shift, whereas her life was constantly being tossed around by the reckless hands of fate, never once following the same pattern.

One of the pointless guides she taught herself as a child was to always keep in mind that, in the pitch of darkness, it can only get lighter; things can only get better.

How wrong it was.

There was always a way to go from bad to worse, and to question that knowledge was to deny life itself of its capriciousness. It could always get worse, it could always get darker. You can believe all the childish things you want, but life will always cut your legs out from under you whenever you're least expecting it, dragging you deeper and deeper until you reach a point of no return.

Sakura was inching her way along thin ice, needless to say.

Moving at a snails pace through the endless building of whites and grays, searching fruitlessly for that which she sought. Her footsteps echoed harshly through the flurescent-lit halls, signalling her arrival to all who cared to lend an ear.

No one, it appeared, seemed to care.

She rounded a corner and brushed off the thought and continued her slow descent down the long, sterile hallway. Though it had been almost a week since she'd first received them, the kunoichi had yet to become used to her humiliating and aggravating crutches, and she was waiting desperately for the day where she could discard them. Her arms were constantly tired after long days of hauling herself around, and she found that heaving herself up the endless hospital staircases on a daily basis was an incredibly draining task.

Yet she never once pitied or sympathized for herself, for her problems were minuscule and would vanish with time; she alone was lucky for that.

She continued to make her way over the slick, tiled floor, her green orbs focused wholly on the closed double doors just ahead of her. Things, as bad as they'd been, had at least been quieting down since her arrival, but now _this_? It was to be expected, she supposed, yet all the same it rocked her very core to even consider the darkened possibilities that drove her to search past those sealed doors.

She clunked noisily down the corridor at her fastest-possible pace, which in reality really wasn't fast at all, and stopped just before she reached the exit. She awkwardly leaned against the wall beside her to free up one of her hands, which she then used to manuever the door handle and push the heavy panel free from its panel.

She flung the doors open as far as she could with a single push before fumbling to get past the doors before they closed back on her. She slipped past just as they swung back into place, though her momentous feeling of accomplishment quickly vanished when she realized just how hard it was raining before her.

She muttered an unintelligible curse before hefting her crutches and walking out into it, giant droplets pelting her body like small stones. She shivered as the frigid cold crept up her now-damened clothing and moved up a hand to shield eyes as she cast out her gaze in a quick search.

It appeared she'd wandered her way to Konoha Hospital's garden. It was almost unrecognizeable in the pelting rain, but her jades picked up on some familiar features, she knew whole-heartedly where she was.

The hospital garden, known for its exotic assortments of pleasant-smelling flowers and its cute cobblestone walkways, was pretty well sized, and unfortunately did not have any sort of roofed-area or overhangs. It was surrounded by a high, recycled-redwood fence that was lined with thick, darkened hedges. It's many pathways wove through the endless flora in a complicated maze of stones, its simple and old-fashioned style giving it a homey sort of aura.

Roses, tulips, jasmine, daisies and daffodils, forget-me-nots, sunflowers, periwinkles and poppies, poinsettas, orchids, irises, and lilac. The colorful myriad swelled before she scanned the setting quickly, for she was eager to get out from under the pouring rain. Her peridot orbs alighted upon a twin pair of oak trees nestled in the far corner, several hydrangea bushes blocking their bases from view. Their branches looked as if they would provide at least a little protection from the elements, and seeing how the door behind her was now locked, she really didn't have any other solution. So without any furthur hesitation she set her course in that direction and rapidly hopped down the stone path nearest to her.

My the time she got to the small and somewhat dry trees her hair and clothing was soaked through-and-through. She leaned up against the tree trunk warily, sharp trembles racking her wintry limbs as she let her crutches fall uselessly to the earth and began hugging herself for warmth. Her jades darted around the quiet garden that she'd rushed through, checking to see if she'd missed something.

She groaned after finding no signs of human—or canine—life and pivoted slowly, glancing over her shoulder to see what else was sheltered with her beneath the arching trees.

She nearly collapsed. The turbulent storm of shock, confusion and overwhelming relief breezed through her, and she had to catch herself on the tree to keep from slumping to her knees.

After spending all day trumping through the hospital, searching every nook and cranny along with almost all of the hospital's extra staff members, she'd finally found him. After all the trouble and wasted hours, his completely serene expression just said it all.

He was sleeping soundly before her, calm and peaceful as if completely shut off from the world around him. His pale face was so _captivating_, even in slumber; his angular features, sharp jawline, and hallowed cheeks casting a powerful and godlike aura about him. His alabaster skin was like fragile and dangerously-thin porcelain, though his cheeks were dyed a very slight pink from a passing fever. The dark, exaggerated shadows beneath his eyes had lightened several shades from its usual, unhealthy black to a softer violet glow, which led down to his straight and long nose and from there to his paper-thin lips. These lips were held slightly apart in a loose line, as he had been about to murmur something faintly before falling into a swathe of dreams. His thick mane of raven-black hair stuck up its usual, disheveled fashion behind his head, and the locks that usually framed his perfect face hung tousled and untidy in front of his closed eyes.

He was laying on his back on what appeared to be a small hammock pulled out between the twin trees, one of his hands crossed over his covered abdomen while the other was draped uselessly off the side of the hammock, nearly touching the ground. He wore simple, civilian clothes, as his shinobi-style get-up had been discarded after his admittance into the hospital nearly a month before.

It made him look so normal yet so completely out of his element with the average baggy jeans and that plain, dark-colored t-shirt. The sole thing distinguishing him from a common villager was the small fan emblazoned across his sleeve; a constant reminder of who and what he really was. He looked as if he might wake up and be completely fine; able to walk and run as he should have been. And had her eyes not automatically searched for it, she would almost not have noticed the thick back-brace strapped across him beneath his shirt, its outline barely visible through the fabric.

It saddened her to see him in alone in the back of the garden like that, because she knew it was her fault and she had no way of truly apologizing to him. Though he always acted so stoic and emotionless, his actions spoke loudly to her, and she could always detect the reasons behind why he did what he did. This action, it leaked off an unsatiable loneliness and of a despairing loss, and she very suddenly felt a maternal sort of feeling creep over her, and she abruptly wished she had a blanket or something similar to throw over him, like a mother would her sleeping child.

His return to Konoha.... she must have seriously underestimated its effects on him. He hadn't really been acting like himself, at late. His usual arrogant and cocky demeanor had vanished and was replaced with a passive and silent aura, and the only person he would ever open his mouth for was Sakura.

That knowledge gave her a smidgen of pride, but that feeling never lasted long. When he did talk, he never really complained in earnest about his stay in Konoha, but he'd never displayed any signs to show that he didn't want to leave either. He'd give off-handed comments about how he was getting sick of the hospital smell, or of how he wanted to just go for a simple walk outside to get away from it. They were those sort of remarks that she didn't really think twice about until she had to leave, and then it would hit her and she'd feel completely overwhelmed with her guilt and sorrow, almost to the point of breaking.

She couldn't even begin to relate to how _he_ must have felt.

It wasn't her life any of it was really affecting, anyway. It was his life, his character, his body; being put under all the of the teeming stress. Yet he had no control and no say over what would happen to him, because the decisions that would determine how his life would play out were now resting squarely in the palms of the Konoha council.

Sakura remembered with dread that first day back. It was a rough stretch of hours, filled with her sitting in another hospital bed, waiting restlessly for news of Kakashi's arrival. It came eventually, but not in the way she would have liked it. Apparently, while Kakashi had carried him back with the rest of his team, the Uchiha's body had gone into shock, and he'd almost died in the jounin's arms.

Again.

So Kakashi had ripped the necklace off and Shizune was forced to stabilize him as best she could before the squad rushed back to Konoha.

No one really started asking questions until the Uchiha was being looked after in the Konoha hospital, and at that point it got totally out of hand.

The Godaime was informed of the odd circumstances of the prodigy's retrieval, and a fierce debate ensued between herself, her council members, and Kakashi.

After many discussions and a set of trials that lasted several days, the council came to a final verdict and decided to overlook the young Uchiha's betrayal due to his recent accomplishments in the battlefield, both when he destroyed two Akatsuki members and killed the snake-master Orochimaru, and his practically-heroic rescue of the pinkette kunoichi. He was put on strict probation, and now all he had in front of him were a few boring, mission-free years to do as he pleased. If he stepped out of line even once, however, he would be detained and a new course of trials would take place to decide his fate. Another part of his current punishment was that he was supposed to be under constant surveillance by an ANBU member until a full year had passed, though that part of the agreement had disintegrated when he was found shortly after to be of absolutely no threat to the village and had no intention or way of leaving.

After that Tsunade went off to first visit her student, then to see to the Uchiha prodigy. She came to a quick diagnosis for the dark-haired youth, and though she couldn't get his consent to the treatment due to his unconscious state, she went and did it anyway.

He'd had another longer and much more invasive surgery shortly after that to fuse his spine back together. It was a long one, and even Tsunade came out sweating and panting after the first four hours. He came out okay however, though he was hardly himself and couldn't really comment on it for the first week due to excessive amounts of morphine. After that he'd just been cooped up in the hospital for a while, where he'd spent his long days staring listlessly out the window or sleeping. It was usually the latter.

The Haruno had thought it was odd, at first, how much he actually did sleep. Almost every time she went in to see him, he would be on his side facing the window, eyes closed in rest. He seemed to never fit for talking, and if she ever had the urge to wake up, it was extremely difficult to get him up due to all of the different pain killers being pumped into him through the IV.

So the kunoichi would join him as often as she could, mostly to keep him company and to partake in rare and quiet conversations whenever he was awake. His room was right down the hall from her own, so it really wasn't too much of a hassle to hop on her crutches and swing herself over between healing sessions. He always had a gloomy expression on his face, dark and always brooding, yet by the time she managed to get herself through the door, it always seemed to lighten just enough so that it was noticeable.

Never a smile; just a hairsbreadth beneath.

It was that little sense of warmth that pushed her to visit him as much as possible. She would sit down on the empty bed next to his, sometimes with a book or medical scroll, and just sit back and enjoy the silence, without every actually reading. Other times they would just talk, about random things. They would work their way through topics like foods and drinks, meander lamely through conversations of training methods and weaponry, fumble around awkwardly with the happier memories of their genin days.

Never did they talk about the more recent travels they'd shared together.

Sasuke never brought it up, and the only time Sakura ever tried he didn't respond and simply turned away from her, his expression blank. She never touched the subject after that, though she had so many countless questions with answers that she yearned to coax out of him.

So the days had gone on like that, for a time. He remained in his flat position for the duration, choosing only to move onto his side when absolutely necessary. During a physical therapy session once he almost stood up, though Sakura heard from the physician's report later that it had cost him a great deal of pain.

The next step came three weeks later. It was brought it by three nurses who immediately regretted the decision to volunteer for the job after entering the room, for almost instantly upon bringing the dreaded thing in, it was sent hurling right back at them.

The Uchiha, as battered and torn as his ego was, would not let his pride fall so low as to let himself be rolled around on a _wheelchair_.

Had he not actually been so serious in his refusal, the scene might have been funny.

Two days later and he was gone; simply vanished from his bed without so much as a trace during the early hours of the morning.

* * *

His eyes flashed open, revealing two iridescent orbs of pure obsidian that, as they always did, made her feel so vulnerable and small; like they were boring into her very being and detecting and exposing the hidden feelings and locked emotions that were once stowed so safely in her core. She felt her arms instinctively wrap around herself, as if her body was suddenly struggling to protect itself from an unseen foe, and she furiously looked away, her jade orbs desperately searching for something to distract her from those smoldering hues.

The tree she leaned upon creaked abruptly and the kunoichi automatically whirled, only to remember late that she her body couldn't spin that way, and she struck out her hand to catch herself against the trunk; thankfully in time.

She shot a glance at the Uchiha, who had a dark smirk plastered across his face in response to her embarrassing performance. She felt her face heating up automatically and she forced her best impression of a scowl, only to turn a deep shade of scarlet when his smirk deepened, onyx hues gleaming at her.

"What?!" She snapped, her expression flustered. He shrugged from his position before his observant eyes slid away to stare distantly of into another part of the garden.

"Hn." She rolled her eyes at his reply before she sank to a sitting position, surprised to find the earth beneath her relatively dry. She ran an idle hand through her soaked locks, sighing as her fingers came out soaked.

"Sasuke?" He didn't respond.

"Why are you out here? It's a lot warmer inside—"

"I'm _sick_ of it." She heard the edge to his voice, felt her heart flutter with a fearful anticipation. She peered up at him cautiously, unable to see his face as it was turned away from her. She bit her lip instinctively.

"Wha—?"

"_Everything_, okay?!" he shouted. The kunoichi felt herself beginning to tremble at the sudden fierceness and venom lacing his voice and she shrunk back fearfully against her tree, staring at the dark-haired youth with shock and hurt as he turned his head towards her, exposing her to the full-force of his dark orbs that were now seething with a broken rage and fury. His teeth suddenly grit together before he snapped again.

"The walls, the ceiling, the window, the smell, the sitting, the _everything_. This whole _fucking_ town; I can't stand it! Everything I remember about _hating_ this place, every reason that I ever _left_, it's all coming _back_. I _hate_ it!"

"Wh-what are you talking about?! I-It's been fine, wha—"

"Stop lying to yourself, it's _never_ been fine. Do you honestly think that I want to be here? That I want to be cooped up in this prison?!"

"Then WHY did you _save_ me?! Why?!! You would be _free_ and _healthy_ and _away from here_; you have no right to put that on me. I-I'm sorry that—" She felt an fury building up in her gut like ice as she said,

"Stop _fuckin_g apologizing, this has nothing to do with you—"

"It has everything to do with me, Sasuke! I'm sorry that this happened, b-but I didn't ask for you to make that sacrifice, I wouldn't have wanted—"

"Shut _up_—!"

"You didn't _have_ to sacrifice everything; you had a choice! So _why_ did you do it?! Why the _hell_ did you give it all up?!!"

"Sakura—!!"

"And-and if you hate it so much, _why are you still here_?!"

She felt the sting of her words hang in the space between them, the bitter malice and resentment of her question almost taking on a physical form in the air. She sat, her emeralds locked with the obsidians; unable to take her gaze away. She finally ripped away, staring off into the rain as her infuriated and hurt question still hung in the air like poised daggers. Hot tears were starting to seep down her cheeks and she quickly brushed them away, clamping down her over her lower lip to avoid letting out the sobs that were ramming against her floodgates.

She heard the hammock creak suddenly behind her, but she didn't turn. She couldn't believe him, couldn't believe that she had so easily let him slip into her _life_. Seeing him, talking with him, trusting him... Loving him. The feelings that she had buried long ago were finally worming their way to the surface, except in such a more fierce and tangible and _real_ form, because she knew this time the feelings weren't just empty. Before it was a crush, now it was something stronger, more powerful and refined. She couldn't bring herself to call it by name.

She heard another sound behind her and this time she sneaked a sideways glance in its direction, only to see two shoes planted just next to her. She gasped audibly as the Uchiha took a staggering step forward, out of the small bit of shelter and into the pounding rain. She watched his expression as it convulsed with agony with every movement, watched as he forced himself to endure it before stepping out again, repeating the process. His teeth were gritted together firmly, his rough fingers clenched into tight and unbreakable fists. She watched as he took more and more painful and struggling steps forward, watched as his clothes were almost instantly soaked, and how his hair dripped and drooped sadly as rain ran through its locks, and how he just stopped and swayed uneasily out in the middle of the courtyard, battered by rain.

"Ah, Sasuke-kun, what are you _doing_?!"

She knew he couldn't walk yet, knew that the amount of pain he was going through was unfathomably large. So why the hell was he _doing_ it to himself?! She scrambled to her feet, gasping aloud when she hit her leg against the tree trunk before balling her hands into fists in a manic attempt to ignore it. She then shot a last, fleeting glimpse up at the Uchiha, panic rising through her; he was going to get hurt, worse than last time and it would be all her fault, all her damn fault—

"Sasuke-kun!! Why are you doing this to yourself—?! Stop it!"

A low, hollow laugh was his sole reply. It was a cruel, dark, and humorless sound, void of all the joy that is commonly assosiated with laughter. It was wrought with this bitter loathing and malice, yet with a real sort of raw pain tha made the hairs on the back of the kunoichi's neck stand on end. She flinched away from him, staring at what had become of this once great prodigy. Abruptly it stopped, and everything was silent, apart from the pitter-patter of rain swirling about their feet.

"To make sure I'm still alive."

She stared up in disbelief.

"This pain... It's real. I_ feel _it; I feel it trying to _break_ me, trying to _change_ me... I can't feel anything, anymore, except for this."

"Sasuke-kun—"

"Hn."

"Why.... why are you hurting yourself? Why, why would you ever do that to yourself.... Sacrifice everything... I just don't understand." Tears were coming forth now, and she couldn't control them. She took a painful step forward, ignoring her crutches, her emeralds focused on his soaked back.

"Please... Stop it." Her words shook as she did, echoing the fear and hurt that was writhing its way through her veins.

And then she was running towards him, ignoring the erupting pain just as he had before flinging her arms around his middle, pressing herself against his dripping back as the chilling rain fell against her skin. She felt his whole body jerk away from her, felt his heart rate hammering against his chest as his mind fought to react, and then felt it slow into an even pace as his breathing slowly relaxed into its easy rhythm. He simply stood there as she embraced him, and then slowly his head drooped so that his chin was resting against his chest, face still hidden from view.

"For.... you."

Her heart was pounding.

"I didn't want.... to see you.... get hurt."

She felt her heart thundering in her ears as her eyes widened in raw disbelief. She felt him gently pull her arms away from his chest, felt him turn slowly towards her, felt him replace her arms around his shoulders. She felt his thick gaze upon her face, felt the sudden gentleness and care that he directed at her. She smelled the musty, masculine scent that she loved, felt his hand cup softly around her cheek; holding it still as it slid slowly up and down along her jaw. She felt his hot breath against her face, felt his other hand move up and mold around her other cheek.

Then she started seeing. She saw those deep, obsidian eyes staring into hers, saw how much simple adoration lay in their midst. She saw rain sliding down his god-like face, saw how his thick, raven-black hair clung to the sides of his face. She saw how elegant his features were, and how close they were to her own. She saw his head tilt, his lips brushing against her jaw before lifting softly away.

And then his lips were crashing onto hers.

Her mind went completely blank. She didn't think, didn't consider, didn't disbelieve; she just _felt_. She felt such overwhelming bliss and passion and this undying want building up like dynamite in her chest and she pulled herself up closer to him. She felt his paper-thin lips tugging gently against her fuller lips, felt his rough hands move down from her face to her neck, to her shoulders, then to her thin waist. She moved her tiny hands up to his dark hair, threading her small digits through his unruly mane.

Her lungs were screaming for breath at that point, and very slowly the Uchiha pulled back. His eyes were gleaming, light illuminating their darkest reaches. And he was smiling broadly, just for her.

* * *

EIGHTEEN CHAPTERS IN AND WE'RE FINALLY GETTING SOMEWHERE. :D Wow I'm slow. Or maybe just inefficient. Probably both. Hope you liked the fluff? Haha, there is definitely more to come, regardless. :]

Soo, I realize this chapter is kinda (really) confusing, so I'll sum it up in hopes that it'll click for some people: M'kay. So, last chapter the med team arrived and transported Sakura to the Konoha hospital. While she was getting getting rest/treatment there, Team Shikaku, (who is Shikamaru's father in case some of you guys didn't catch that,) traveled back on foot, with Kakashi carrying Sasuke-kun. That didn't work too well, obviously, so they had to rush home to get him looked at, and it all fell apart from there. He got surgery, and he was fine and recovering when he decided to go take his little field trip. (How he managed to do that is next chapter guys, sorry. :] )

Clarify anything? I know some of you are probably like "BY GOD where is Naruto-kun during all this epic-ness? D:". Questions like that are going to be explained in detail next chapter, so look forward to it. :D

Okay, so on to another topic. My dad just had surgery a few days ago because he had something wrong with his back, so in order to keep in occupied I've been playing more Monopoly games than is physically healthy. Anyway, I learned all this spine lingo when I was sitting in the hospital with him the day after, and was like "WOW, I totally should have postponed last chapter so I can use some of this. I am so super-lame." And ya. :D What a strange coincidence. Anyway, my dad's fine (besides the grouchiness due to exercise-deprivation, D:) so no worries there.

I am addicted to Shugo Chara as of now. Or more specifically, Ikuto-kun's amazingness. He is so cute I could _die_. UHH. ;w;

Oh ya, I was also working on a Christmas One-shot over break........ It's kinda too late now, though. That was, like, a month ago. TT__TT I'll keep you guys posted.

Thanks for reading and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! Thank youuu! :D

-- xxIndigo


	19. Blanket

**Howling Love  
Chapter Nineteen xx Blanket**

* * *

He hadn't really noticed before, but this girl within the tangle of arms smelled just faintly of strawberries. He inhaled the intoxicating scent slowly before exhaling, watching with a dejected interest as his bangs parted to let his breath pass through their midst. Then, gently, he moved to rest his chin on the crown of her head, his dark eyes turning to stare distantly out over the large expanse of garden.

He supposed that he wasn't really seeing the garden, for his eyes seemed to just brush past its surface, not really taking the time to look and take it all in. His mind was too overwhelmed with everything else that any attempts at compacting more into it would prove useless. So, for the first time in a long while, he stopped analyzing, stopped calculating, stopped thinking. He merely let himself go, choosing to willingly allow himself to be overwhelmed with his many senses as they took swarmed to take in this amazing girl just that he could finally call his own.

She was _his_. Just as he was hers. She had picked him, out of all of the men in her life, and though he knew in his heartest of hearts that it would have been better for her to pick someone else, he was elated over the fact that she hadn't.

He let his lids flutter shut as her tiny hands slowly moved down from his hair to hang loosely around his neck, and from there brushed down to his chest where they met up with her cheek that pressed itself just beneath his collarbone. He felt one of her soft sighs escape her lips against him, felt her soft breath murmur across his neck, felt her thick lashes brush against his skin when she blinked, then again when her eyes fluttered shut.

A brief, pleasurable shudder ran through his body.

And just like that it was over. He'd been so perfectly content that he hadn't even felt it, but with that tiny movement the pain swept back with a renewed strength. His heart was pounding in his ears, and he let his hands fall from the kunoichi's waist so they hung, trembling, at his sides. He felt Sakura, frozen against him, pull away softly. He wanted her to return and wished to tell her that he was perfectly fine and that she was overreacting as always, but seeing as how he was fighting to stay on his feet, he gloomily supposed that might have not have been the best option.

"Sasuke-kun, you should lay down, I-I'm sorry I completely spaced—"

He felt himself sway dangerously, and felt her small hands grasping his in her useless attempt to keep him balance. His eyes flicked to her legs, narrowing slightly when he noted that she was balancing awkwardly on one leg to keep her weight off of her healing leg. He watched with suppressed horror as she reached out to thread her small fingers through his, trying to help him before she fell on it, and she flinched harshly.

"Sakura—"

And then she was hopping away from him precariously, arms spread out to keep her balance as she swung forward on her good leg. She reached her crutches shortly and snatched them up before hauling herself back to him with them tucked beneath her arms, expression brilliantly defiant.

She tucked herself beneath his shoulder easily, sliding his arm around her width with a simple nudge. He was at first hesitant to lean on her, but after another stab from his spine he reluctantly complied, ignoring the toll it took on his tattered ego.

She towed him back to the hammock slowly and gently, and he loathed himself the whole way for being so _weak_ and so completely useless and vulnerable—

The kunoichi stumbled suddenly, triggering yet another, stronger wave of agonizing pain. It blew him out like a candle, and his whole body was left to fall limp against the kunoichi's shoulder, his dark orbs fluttering shut without any warning

"Sasuke-kun, what—?!" She fought to stand upright as his full weight leaned against her shoulder, struggling to keep her crutches from slipping.

She finally located a rock near the end of her crutch which she used to brace herself, thus restoring some balance. She then heaved a sigh before turning her attention to the boy whose head rested so limply near her own, her eyes widening with concern. He looked fine on the outside, but he'd probably set back the healing process of his spine back a good couple of days.

She peered wistfully up at the lonely hammock, hanging only few yards off. There wasn't a way in hell she was going to be able to make it that far carrying him, so she instead she slowly began to lower herself onto her knees while gently sliding the Uchiha's head onto her open lap. She set her crutches down beside her as she slipped her legs out from beneath her so that the dark-haired boy could lay more comfortably against her, smiling smally to herself at her handiwork.

The Haruno felt awful for her inability, however, to get him under decent shelter. He was going to get sick; staying out in the cold rain as they had for a while now. So she did her best to shield him from it by curving her body protectively over his head as she threaded her fingers through his dripping hair, content just to watch him as he lay sleeping in her lap.

She brushed a stray look of hair behind her ear as she gazed down at his perfect porcelain face, tilting her head slightly to the side. He was so....

"_So cute..._."

She still had the taste of him in her mouth, and the scent of him on her clothes. It was intoxicating, wonderful... blissful. She exhaled softly as she continued to run her fingers through the youth's hair, grinning sheepishly to herself.

He stirred in her lap, and she immediately dropped her hands from his hair, her face flushing scarlet. One of his eyes flicked open cautiously, followed quickly by its counterpart, and both of them blinked a few times rapidly before darting up to her face, widening slightly when they took her in.

"Are you okay?" she asked him softly, her tone laced with an urgent concerned.

"Hn." His eyes flickered away from her face slowly, his thin lips turning into a tight frown. She matched his expression with her own, feminine grimace.

"It was my fault; I'm sorry, I should have let you rest...." She too averted her gaze from his face, choosing to look at the small stones of the path that surrounded them.

"Sakura..."

She turned her emeralds on him, surprised to find his deep obsidians intercept her glance, reeling her in as if hooked. They seemed to twinkle as she was drawn closer, and she felt a bout of lightheadedness creep over her.

"Hm?" It was the only thing she could manage to force from her lips through his distracting gaze, and she felt her cheeks grow hot once more.

"Stop apologizing. It's annoying."

She jabbed him over the head with a closed fist.

"_You're_ the annoying one; I nearly killed myself when you fell on me! Give me some warning next time." She threw out her lower lip in a faux pout, her eyes gleaming stealthily.

"Ow." He moved his hand up to the back of his head where she'd cuffed him, frowning at her poutishly.

"No _way_ did that hurt. It was a poke—"

"You punched me." His tone was flat and bland, yet had a thin edge of amusement that sparked the Haruno's playful side.

"Did not!" she retorted, grinning childishly.

"Hn." He smirked, his onyx eyes still locked with hers. She folded her arms stoically over her chest, refusing to let herself be drawn into his eyes again.

"I take back what I said." She resisted the impulse to stick her tongue out after she said it as he threw her a questioning glance from her lap.

"Hn?"

"N-nothing." _That you are positively the most attractive person on the face of the planet. And that you're adorable when you sleep. And I'm so madly in love with you I can't even stand it_—

"Convincing," he deadpanned sardonically. She bit her lip.

"Are you planning on elaborating?" He cast her an expectant expression, and she hastily averted her gaze.

"Well, I just said that, umm, _youareadorablewhenyousleep."  
_  
He blinked. She hid her face in her hands, refusing to look at him.

And then he _chuckled_; like an actual form of laughter. She peeked cautiously through her thin fingers, surprised to find his dark eyes now closed, his thin lips curved into a broad smirk.

"What?!" she snapped defensively. His lids flitted open, and his dark orbs swiveled up to meet her, filled with a devious glint. But then he closed them again, letting an amused sigh pass through his teeth.

"I bet you're cuter_._" His tone was unusually light, yet it held a sort of I-win-stop-talking undertone. His eyes flicked up to snatch her attention once more, and she found herself reeling with sudden embarrassment. She felt that now familiar sensation of lightheadedness swoop over her, followed by what most would describe as 'butterflies in one's stomach.' Whoever came up with that annoying little phrase had obviously _never_ been lucky enough to experience the feeling, for it was hardly what one would like to compare to those beautiful creatures of nature. No, it felt more like giant, evil centipedes of doom twisting about in her abdomen uncontrollably.

"H-how would you know?!" her knee-jerk retord was hardly what one would call a suitable comeback, but she'd never quite expected the infamous, anti-social, (and that was saying it kindly,) Uchiha could spout things like that without even batting a lash. A rock dropped into the pit of her stomach as she realized that here was no real way she was going to beat him at this particular conversation.

"I've seen it." His tone played with amusement, though to her complete horror a tinge of annoyance.

"Why were you.... watching? There had to be plenty of other things to do..." Again, her obstinate nature was showing.

"Hn." She glowered darkly down at him, her eyes darting to his face and then to one of his hands, which was idly twisting a long piece of glass beside him. He heffed another sigh.

"_I_ was asleep, actually. You were jabbering away in your sleep and happened to wake me up." He slid her a furtive smirk and her face flushed scarlet.

"W-When was this? And what.... did I say...?"

"It was that first night.... and I don't remember what you said." He let go of the plant in his hand and choose instead to move his hand up towards his face to brush his hair from his eyes. She beat him to the punch, however, and moved it away for him. He raised an eyebrow as he let his arm drop back down, though his eyes were appreciative enough. She grinned cutely down at him.

"Sasuke-kun, you don't forget anything. Even with hopeless amounts of morphine you still remembered things pretty clearly..." He noticed how her eyes suddenly darkened, and how her teeth abruptly clamped over her lower lip. He tilted his head to the side, watching her carefully.

"Morphine...?" he asked quietly.

"Well, they weren't exactly coherent recountments.... but you got the point across well enough...." Again she bit her lip, her expression twisting painfully as if she had swallowed something distasteful.

"What did I say?" He glanced up at her, eyes inquisitive. Her expression tightened suddenly at the memory, bitterly regretting her impulsive decision to mention it.

"It was.... just that... I-It doesn't matter, you weren't really yourself. Just forget I said anything." Her eyes darted away nervously.

"Sakura." His hand found hers and he took the oppurtunity to entertwine their fingers, frowning slightly.

"Y-You kept repeating what happened, when you first got to the hospital. You... kept saying it was all your fault and that you..." Her face turned deathly pale suddenly, her expression looking as if it was suddenly sick.

Sasuke attempted to sit up, his expression slightly alarmed as he managed to pull himself up to get at her level.

"Sakura...?" She shook her head simply, refusing to meet his gaze.

"Y-you wished that we'd never met! You kept shouting it, over and over again in your sleep and sometimes when you were awake.... And I have to know... Is it... true?" Her voice was so small and quiet and scared. She glanced towards him, her emerald eyes bleary with unshed tears. A single finger suddenly moved up to press against her lips, and her eyes flicked down as they registered the amused scowl painted across the prodigy's features.

"You were worrying this whole time about _that_?" He studied her for a moment, brow raised. She simply turned away from him, refusing to look at him. He grit his teeth, his hand abruptly snaking out to latch onto her shoulder. She jerked away at the touch, but he didn't let go.

With ease he pulled her around to face him and pushed her onto her back, watching with amusement as her expression went from shock to confusion, and then quickly to embarrassment as he moved over her so that he held himself up by his hands on either side of her small head, while his knees rested easily on either side of her hip.

He was now gazing down at the kunoichi's petite, heart-shaped face as she stared in confusion up at him, her glittering jades blinking rapidly as they fought to take it all in.

"Sasuke-kun..."

"I didn't say that because I didn't want to have met you, I said it because I hated myself for hurting you!" he almost shouted at her, his voice filled with his copious frustration. The kunoichi beneath the cage of his arms shrank back at the suddenly harshness of his voice.

"But _you_ weren't the person who hurt me, it was—"

"If you hadn't met _me_ at that hideout, that fight would _never_ have taken place. You wouldn't have gotten hurt, Sakura! Why can't you see that?!"

"If we hadn't met, you might be _dead_!" she screamed, pounding her tiny fists against his chest as small tears wandered over the brims of her eyes as she struggled to continue, this time in a softer tone. "I don't care what happened to me; it was worth it! To be with you, to get to know you; I wouldn't trade it for anything! And you're saying you wouldn't want to have met me?! That would hurt me so much more—"

Again his lips found hers.

And all of her previous anger melted cleanly away, and all of the tenseness she'd been holding in her various muscles ebbed away just as quickly as they'd come. She hated him for being able to do away with it so easily, but at the same time she _loved_ it.

His lips brushed away from hers for a moment, and she could feel him smirking against her skin.

"I could never regret meeting you, Sakura." His lips returned to hers again and she swooned with pleasure.

She then carefully moved her arms up and around the Uchiha's neck as a leverage to pull the rest of him closer to her, feeling a smug expression slide across her blissful features when she felt him smile against her lips.

She felt him lower himself onto his elbows so that their bodies were physically touching, but not to the point where he was crushing her beneath his weight. Though her lungs were beginning to burn from oxygen deprivation, she chose simply to ignore it. She didn't want to be the one to instigate a pause, she was enjoying _kissing_ him too much.

His thin lips brushed away from her own abruptly, tracing a soft trail along her jaw before moving down to the soft skin of her neck. A soft shiver rippled down her spine when she felt his hot breath against float across her skin, and she quietly withdrew her arms from around his neck, choosing instead to ball them into small fists against his muscular chest.

She felt him hesitate when she did this, his lips just brushing the sensitive skin beneath her jaw. As if to reassure him she unfolded her fingers and simply let them trace small patterns against his perfect chest, wiling him to press on.

His lips didn't make any sort of indication that they were going to continue, and much to her distaste, they lifted off completely, his face moving to hover a hairsbreadth above hers.

"Sorry I brought that up..." she murmured, her eyes darting from the two onyx pools above her to his thin lips and back again.

"Hn. You had a right.... to be angry." His voice was uncharacteristically soft, and to Sakura's delight, extremely seductive. His amused smirk was equally attractive, as were his dark eyes as they gleamed down at her. His expression of amusement quickly faded into a frown, however, when he saw the odd face the girl beneath him was making.

She shook her head suddenly, and one of her tiny hands moved up to push the Uchiha's face away as she turned to the side, curling into a ball beneath him as a tiny sneeze escaped her lips. He blinked in momentary surprise at being so bluntly pushed off, though he turned immediately to concern when she didn't uncurl.

"Sakura?"

"_Mhmmm_." The _shut-up-I-don't-feel-like-talking_ undertone made itself pretty clear.

"You okay?"

"No..." Definitely pouting. "I'm cold. And wet. My fingers are numb, and I am in desperate need of a tissue." He chuckled at her lengthy response of complaints as she peeked up at him warily.

"There's a blanket in the bag back at the hammock..." his eyes flickered to the sheltered space to his left and she followed his gaze.

"I don't want to leave you."

He blinked in surprise, though his expression softened slightly when he noted the small smile the small girl had spread across her lips, full of this reeling care and devotion and trust that filled him with an enourmas sense of duty and pride...

"Take a headstart. I'll be a second..." He took the time to roll off of her so that he was on his back facing the darkened sky, blinking as rain pattered against his face. The kunoichi beside him nodded slightly before taking up her crutches and hoisting herself to her feet. She glanced down at him, a tiny furrow forming between her brows when she took in his unmoving state.

"You sure?"

He nodded slowly before sitting up, grimacing when that familiar spot on his back let out an aching throb. Carefully he brought his knees to his chest and heaved himself onto his feet, staggering when bolts of pain shot through his limbs.

His eyes flicked to the kunoichi who was now watching him beneath the tree, her expression bathed in concern.

He lurched and stumbled his way to the tree, feeling extremely lame and uncordinated when small trivials like roots and slick patches of stone threatened to send him sprawling onto his back, though he managed to make his way all the way to the hammock without killing himself over those obstacles.

He sank into the thick hammock gratefully after the long trudge, the immediate relief from his back audible in the drawn-out sigh he let pass through his lips.

He felt Sakura move in next to him and slanted his eyes to catch a glimpse of her, smirking when he saw how content she was now with the large red blanket wrapped like a cucoon around her body. He lifted his arm to let her snuggle in next to him before placing it gently around her shoulders. She pressed herself warmly against his side, one of her arms unwrapped part of the blanket from around herself before throwing it over him.

He watched as her eyes fluttered shut, felt the hand that she had placed against his chest relax, felt the way her body seemed to melt next to his. He let his head fall to the side so that his chin rested atop the crown of her hair, his own eyes slowly closing.

"Sasuke-kun?" her quiet voice floated to his ears and he cracked an eye open to look at her, only to find that both of her eyes had remained shut, her full lips were curved into one of her small smiles. He let his eye close once more before responding.

"Yeah?"

"I love you." Her soft murmur was barely audible, and full of this tangible compassion and devotion. He felt her tuck her head against his collarbone, felt her smile against his skin, felt her heart beating alongside his own...  
_  
I love you too, Sakura. I love you too._

_

* * *

_

**A/N**: I tried to get this chapter out quickly, but I was sidetracked by.... life. :D *cough* Okay, I was actually having a Shugo Chara marathon, which is where I got a couple ideas for this chappy anyway, so all ends well, right? ^^;

Err, I know I said I was going to explain a lot of things this chapter, but I wrote fluff instead. D: Expect explanations at some point, I don't really know when....

OMG~ 173 reviews?? I know its nothing to how many the really amazing fics get, but for me that is one _big _number! You guys are all amazing, thank you soooo much for supporting this whole thing, it means a lot more than I can ever properly describe. :] If it weren't for you, this fic would never have made it this far, so I owe you guys a lot.

Thanks for reading and please REVIEW! Thanks! :D

--xxIndigo


	20. Optimism

**Howling Love  
Chapter Twenty xx Optimism**

**

* * *

**

The Uchiha sneezed quietly into the crook of is elbow, grumbling unintelligibly before flipping onto his stomach, his face now buried within a large stash of pillows. His hand, which was hanging of the side of the sofa he lay on, sluggishly reached out across the floor and began fumbling around blindly for the tissue box that lay just beyond his reach. He snagged it finally, only to discover lamely that the thing was empty. He groaned dully into the pillow again before casting the object out across the carpet again.

The pinkette glanced up from the small stacks of paperwork piled about her desk and eyed the Uchiha as he grumbled before letting a light grin spread softly about her cheeks. She then pushed back her chair before moving her hands carefully down to one of the pullout drawers built into her workspace, her delicate fingers fishing around within to pull out a fresh box of tissues that had been stashed there.

"Sasuke?" she inquired softly, her beryl eyes observing his still form carefully as she brought the new box out onto her desk.

"Hn." His grunt was slightly muffled through the pillow, but the annoyance that licked at its edges came across clear enough. So instead of asking for him to turn around, she proceeded to toss it right at him, forced to stifle a fit of giggles when it hit its target - the Uchiha's head - right on the mark. Her enjoyment, however, was not fit to last, for his whole body suddenly went rigid, and he made no move to take the box that had was now resting a few centimeters from his outstretched hand.

He turned slowly towards her, and the depth of bitter resentment and malice in his dark scowl was pure poetry. She grinned smugly before taking up her pen again to move into the report she'd been working on previously. A few moments later she glanced up again, only to find him staring off into space numbly, tissue box in hand.

* * *

It was hard to believe it had only been two weeks since that day in the rain. Two weeks since their sprinkled arguments, two weeks since their first _real_ moment...

Not to mention is had been two whole weeks since the two of them had both contracted equally annoying colds, though Sakura had managed to get over hers after a few days rather than Sasuke, who'd been grumpy, irritable, and confined to a life of sneezes, coughs, and tissue boxes for the duration. She supposed his body was getting overloaded with first healing his back and now fighting the virus, hence why it was lasting so long.

Regardless to what was causing it, he was practically a ray of sunshine.

Sakura grimaced dryly, for the two of them being sick surely was _not _the only low point of the last few weeks…. Truth be told, she hadn't really known what to expect after their day in the rain, but it definitely hadn't been this. Sasuke was more-or-less the same as he'd been before; always brooding and incapable of holding a normal conversation. If they talked at all, it was one-sided, for the only answers Sakura could get out of him were one-worded ones, thus the conversations were really nothing more than endless rounds of twenty-questions.

She supposed that was his character, but oh did she enjoy the moments when he broke away from it. Like the rare occasions where she would tangle her hand through his, and he would smile down at her warmly. Like the even scarcer moments where he would let her wrap her arms around his neck and then wrap his own arms around her waist.

She remembered a day where he'd been abnormally unresponsive, and after a quiet inquiry was told that it had been his mother's birthday. So she'd curled against his side and for once let him do the talking.

He told her things that she doubted he'd ever told anyone before. They were things about his old family, of his long-dead childhood, of the thoughts and feelings that he'd left behind. It left Sakura feeling that much closer to him, and he to her.

Afterwards had been the only point where they'd really kissed since the garden. After that he was back to himself, unfortunately.

She'd been hoping that after he deemed fit to walk he'd brighten up a bit more, but that fluttering wish was soon stilled, for he seemed to talk even less after that. She could only guess at what the reasons behind that were, but most if not all were futile. She'd grown accustomed to making often attempts to get into the prodigy's mind, to try to guess what he was thinking, but she never quite got the hang of it.

He managed to surprise her still, with small actions and comments that seemed at first insignificant, but after a bit of thought seemed surprisingly sweet and gentle. Like the first time he came down to her office on the first floor, a few days after she'd been allowed to return home and work hospital shifts again. She still wondered how he'd been able to find it in the myriad of rooms and offices, just as she'd wondered countless of times how he'd managed to get down the garden on that fateful day.

When she'd asked him about it, he'd shrugged and hadn't responded. When prodded again, he let slip that Kakashi had something to do with it, but beyond that didn't care to elaborate. So she set it aside, deciding that it would be a topic she could mull over at a different time.

She had a lot to think about, apparently.

* * *

"Sakura, you're making a face." His voice was low and distinct as it broke the meanderings of her thoughts, and she blanched as she fought to reconfigure her expression from whatever its previous setting had been. She peeked up at him over her desk, surprised to find him smirking acutely from his position on the sofa.

And then he blinked rapidly before snaking out his hand to snatch up a tissue just in time to let another one of his cute sneezes pass through his clenched teeth and into the paper. He then tossed the tissue into the trashcan conveniently pulled next to him, adding the thing to the constantly-building pile that had amassed within. He groaned irritably, his dark eyes glazed as they surveyed the white ceiling dubiously.

"This_ sucks_," he grumbled hoarsely.

"Try to sleep; it might make you feel better." She watched as his eyes flickered to her face before returning to the ceiling, his immediate irritation lingering in his scowl. She shrugged mildly before picking up her pen once more, knowing full well that his steam would eventually blow out and he'd be able to sleep just fine.

Her eyes skimmed over the paper she'd been in the midst of signing, frowning when she noted that the 'patient's name' line towards the bottom was unfilled. Her eyes skirted up to see if there was any other sort of indication to whose it belonged to when her eyes froze along the name printed along the top.

_Uzumaki Naruto._

"Sasuke-kun!" she practically shouted, already up and flitting towards the door. When he didn't respond she furiously rounded on him, only to find that his eyes were closed in sleep. She considered waking him up, but found herself suddenly hesitant when she noted the faint blush forming across his cheeks and the slightly fever that continued to cling to his glossy skin. To her, the Uchiha had always looked heart-breakingly tragic, and his being sick just accented that fact.

She glowered at him suddenly, eyes darting to the door. _Uchiha's always had the best of timing, didn't they?_

She hurried back to her desk again before snatching out a piece of scratch paper and her pen before hastily scrawling out a short note and sticking it to the front of her desk.  
_  
'Checking on a patient. Be back soon.'_

And then she was racing towards the door again, pausing only to swing her medic bag over her shoulder before slipping through the exit and into the sterile hallway beyond.

* * *

The report had said he wasn't in critical condition, but there wasn't any harm in checking. It took her no more than five minutes to check through the emergency unit rooms, and after finding them empty, went flitting to the second floor to find the recovery rooms. She barged into the first room she came to, her eyes speeding to the bed that lay against the window - she let a relieved grin slide across her lips before shutting the doo quietly behind herself.

It was nice to see that familiar mane of sandy-blond hair after months of living without it. He was her comfort, and being without his constant optimism, broad smiles, and cruddy pick-up lines just didn't work over extended amounts of time.

The Uzumaki lay sprawled sluggishly across the hospital bed, his tanned arms folded beneath his head in complete leisure as he stared blankly up at the ceiling. He wore a tattered ANBU uniform whose arm bracers had been sliced off to make room for the layers of bandages wound around his arms, and his boots had been removed for the same purposes. He had a few bandages wrapped around his forehead as well, to her dismay.

"Naruto, what the _hell_ took you so long?!" she shrieked, finding the first thing she could find - a pillow - and hurling it at his unsuspecting face. He blanched before diving under his blankets, though he quickly resurfaced to show off the broad grin he had plastered across his tired features. The kunoichi smiled largely before moving to his side and sitting on the edge of the bed to move in and give him a warm hug.

"Sorry to make you wait, Sakura-chan." He grinned as she pulled away, his large eyes searching hers warmly.

It had been as if a part of her had been missing during his time away, but his sudden presence made her feel whole again. He was like a sibling to her, like the brother she'd never had, and though it was far from being an intimate relationship, she always missed him when he was gone.

"Are you hurt?" she asked quietly, pulling up his wrapped arm gently, inspecting it before glancing up at his face, surprised to find that his smile had grown.

"Just some scratches... I heal fast, Sakura-chan, don't worry about it." He threw one of his optimistic thumbs-up before he turned pale again and dropped it. She followed his distant gaze to discover that he was staring at the phone behind her like it was a ghost.

"Naruto...?"

"I FORGOT TO CALL HINATA." And then he was diving past her for the phone set on the bedside table before fumbling with the cord as he sought to reel it in to himself. He jabbed at the keys clumsily before pulling it to his ear, expression uncharacteristically flustered.

"Eh, Hinata—" It was almost comical how fast his voice had gone from its loud and high-pitches tone to one so gentle, and Sakura smiled as the blond chuckled to himself at whatever the shy girl on the other line said to him.

"Yeah. Yes. Uh-huh. I'm fine. Room..... Sakura, what room is it? Oh, room 304. It's okay, you don't have to…. Yeah. If they don't, I'll just go out the window. Why not? Sure… Really? Haha, okay. Miss you too. See you tomorrow. Bye." He grinned sheepishly before hanging the instrument up.

"How's Hinata-san?" asked the Haruno quietly, her hand moving subconsciously up to her hair as she tucked a stray strand behind her ear.

"Good, I think..... Anyway, what's been up in Konoha lately?" He must have noticed Sakura turn sheet white, because he frowned at her and raised an inquisitive brow.

"That good?" he joked lamely.

"Naruto…While you were gone, Sasuke's—"

"Wait - is there another lead?! What happened? Where was it? When was it? Who sent it in? Is he okay? Where is he? We have to go after him, right now—" he stopped suddenly, sitting up as he tried to get out from under the sheets.

"No, Naruto let me finish—"

"No, Sakura, that bastard is always getting himself way in over his head. I've got to go take a shower and pack again—" he attempted to swing his legs out from under the sheets, eyes glued like a drone to the door.

"SHUT UP BAKA." She slammed her fist into his chest, knocking him flat onto the bed again. He twitched once and didn't move, his expression dumbfounded.

"If you want to go find him, by all means, go look. Packing up and parading down to the gate might be a little overkill though, he's sleeping downstairs."

He ogled at her for a good five minutes, his eyes wide and mouth held ajar. "_What_?!"

"Sasuke's back." Her voice was even, quiet. She was fighting desperately to keep her emotion from lacing the words, though the blond seemed not to be paying attention to that at the moment. He was struggling to keep one of his trademark grins spread across his face, but it seemed to be falling at the edges, crumbling until it was nothing more than a partial mask hiding the confused face beneath.

She knew what he was thinking about, what he was bitterly mulling over. She hated herself for overlooking it, hated herself for being so ignorantly excited about telling him. She was supposed to be the realist in the group, the one who always had her head on straight, the one who everyone turned to when they needed help or advice.... Yet now she felt as if she'd horribly miscalculated and was now sinking to the dark pit of pessimism with the Uchiha.

Sasuke had tried to _kill_ him. That kind of action wasn't quite so easy to forgive, by no one's measures. Though Naruto had never really doubted their ability to bring their old teammate back, it was another thing entirely now that the fact was upon them, the kunoichi knew that that action would take more than a little time to heal. What had once been a thick band of trust that had been brutally shredded during the duo's brawl, and now it was entirely up to Sasuke to weave it back together.

"How?" The blond's quiet question broke the thick haze of her thoughts, and her gaze flickered up to his face. She abruptly realized that the blond was staring at her with his large, cerulean hues, still looking a whole stage beyond shock. So as she picked up her teammates calloused hands in hers to trace rippling patterns across his palm, she told him.

About everything.

About the chance encounter in the dark dungeon's of the hideout.

To the Uchiha's decision to follow her.

To being chased through across miles of forest by their enemies.

To the small village and inn they'd stayed at afterwards, and her strange encounter with Yui.

Then to their flight through yet another forest, and the ambush that followed.

She described how strong their old teammate had been, how he'd defeated so many men without batting a lash. And how she'd been sourly beaten by the blond woman, only to be rescued by the dark-haired prodigy almost immediately afterwards. She told him about the fight with Katsuo, how the Uchiha managed to escape to the sky carrying her unconscious body in his arms.

And then she told him about the fall. And of what happened to his spine and to everything else that pertained to the Uchiha's return.

It was the first time she'd been able to give her account of the entire journey, and it felt strangely relieving to be able to let it all slide. Sure, she'd had to give a report to Tsunade a few weeks prior, but it had been a blunt description of what took place, not of why it happened or had it had made her feel.

At the same time, however, she felt as if she was deceiving the blond, for she was intentionally cutting little details out every here and there. She didn't mention how safe she'd felt wrapped up in his arms, didn't note on how it hadn't been a whim to escape from Katsuo, but him curbing to her desperate plea. She neglected telling him what their teammate had told her during their flight, and said nothing of how she'd screamed and cried her eyes out when his broken body was pulled from her grasp after the tragic fall.

She didn't tell him about how happy she'd felt when she'd held him in her arms. She didn't tell him about how scared she felt when she had to leave.

She didn't tell him about their many conversations in that Konoha Hospital room, or about the long nights she spent thrashing about in sleeplessness from the guilt she felt from his momentous sacrifice.

And that day in the garden; she left that part out too.

The blond pursed his lips for a moment, his brow furrowed in one of his rare moments of concentration. The Haruno studied him quietly before dropping her eyes to her hands, pushing away the urge to fidget.

"Is he going to be able to fight again?" the Kyuubi-contained asked quietly, his deep, cyan eyes skirting up to her face, looking slightly on-edge. Sakura flashed a grin.

"Yeah. Give him a month and he'll be fit for sparring." She beamed at him, happy to be able to provide at least a little good news. The blond grinned in return, though the kunoichi got the distinct feeling that other things were bothering him as well.

"I'm going to beat him to a pulp." He chuckled loudly, and Sakura frowned before rolling her eyes as he moved to continued: "He is going to eat rasengan over and over and over again until he—"

"Naruto…. Please refrain from killing each other, okay? And you're going to need to keep it to Taijutsu for a while, anyway," she scolded him wryly, pursing her lips afterward.

"What? Why?" he parried quickly.

"The spine is connected to your main chakra channel, idiot. Chakra manipulation might take a while." She said it like anyone should know it, but she supposed off-handedly that it was medic knowledge, and that he, being Naruto, wouldn't have known.

"....Has he tried it yet?"

"No."

"He'll get it on the first try, Sakura. This is Sasuke we're talking about." The blond grinned cheekily. She found herself echoing his expression at his apparent optimism.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right."

* * *

**A/N: **End of Chapter Twenty, my friends. My GAWD it's hard to believe that this thing is so long. And it doesn't even seem like much happened. :/ By any means, I feel so, so _accomplished _to have made it to twenty chapters! :D

Anyway, I believe I stated a while ago that I had a clear end in site for this fic and that it was going to end in the future. At that point, however, I had envisioned the garden scene to be a lot more elaborate, more explanatory, much longer, and much much more fluffy before having a few more entirely-fluff chapters to end the thing. That was my plan, at least. But I've now realized that my mind has no intention of allowing me to end it like that, so it has continually presented me with ideas that would work all to well for coming chapters.

So although I'll hardly have the time anymore for softball season is starting up again, this fic is going to keep on rollin'! So I guess that's good for you guys, but don't cry when updates are a bit slower than usual, m'kay? :D

So yeah.

If a little random, but if anyone is up to date with the current Naruto manga arc, I'd just like to say this comment: I HATE SAGE MODE. HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT. 'cause I don't think Sasuke-kun could beat it, which makes me want to curl up into a ball and sob. TT___TT

I've got this song stuck in my head: "Love Remains the Same" - Gavin Rossdale.... It's cute, but god is it annoying to have stuck in ones head. T___T;;

Anyway, thank you so much for reading, and please, please, please REVIEW! :D

-- xxIndigo


	21. Confrontation

**HOWLING LOVE :.**

**Chapter 21 xx Confrontation**

* * *

Sakura watched in mute horror as the blond nearly dismantled the office door set before him as he slammed it open so harshly that it made a resounding smash as it crashed into the wall on the opposite side. With the momentary obstacle out of the way, the reckless shinobi stampeded right into the room within without as much as a hesitation, leaving the rosette kunoichi to grapple to get a hold of his jacket to pull him back, though her attempts were fruitless. So instead she hissed something angrily under her breath before stalking in after him, choosing to hide her anxiety under an obstinate facade.

Her brow arched as she took in the odd scene splayed out before her.

It appeared the Uchiha _had_ been asleep, at least until the blond had decided to smash the door open and parade inside as he just had. Sasuke was looking dangerously menacing, despite the fact that he was currently blinking back the tangles of sleep in which he had so rudely been aroused from. He was glaring daggers at the blond standing innocently before him, his bitter resentment seething from the dark scowl he had choking at the edges of his lips. His black tresses hung disheveled and tousled about the frame of his face from where he'd been sleeping on them, and his deep onyx hues looked dull and unfocused despite the glowerings he was shooting through them at the Uzumaki.

Sakura started when his eyes flicked suspiciously to her face and quickly dropped her gaze, only to peer up cautiously once more to find that he had returned to glaring at Naruto. Sasuke seemed as if he was debating whether or not to stand up, and sure enough he settled for something closer than his almost completely-reclined position. He sat up slowly, leisurely, before carefully swinging a leg over the edge of the couch so that it hung onto the floor while the other remained up on the cushions with the rest of him. Sakura noticed distantly that the tissue box she'd handed him not-too-long ago looked almost empty and was laying just a few inches away from one of his closed fists.

The blond took one step forward, and Sakura found herself freeze as she watched both of the males grow rigidly tense. Naruto seemed to be battling opposing emotions, his expression writhing between extreme anger and happiness. The result was the twisted, grim frown that he had stretched across his lips.

"Teme...." he finally breathed, azure eyes swirling. He seemed to be deciding whether or not to approach his teammate, but after a quick hesitation he broke into a wide grin before plopping himself on the opposite end of the couch from the Uchiha, looking extremely pleased with himself.

Sasuke had scooted as far as he could away from the blond and was glowering at the wall bitterly, arms folded across his chest. He had made no move to say or do anything, and Sakura found a wry grin spreading across her cheeks as she leaned into the door frame, watching the two of them react to one another with teeming interest. She raised a brow when Naruto's grin abruptly widened into a beam.

"Heh, just like ol' times. Sakura being pretty, Teme being an arrogant asshole, me being--"

"Shut up, idiot," snapped the Uchiha sharply, his neck snapping around so that the full force of his piercing glare fell squarely upon the blond's devious expression. It fell short, however, for Naruto's widened smiling seemed impervious to any sort of bad vibes, so the dark-haired youth turned away again, obsidian hues glinting resentfully.

"He speaks!" the blond shouted triumphantly, stealing a smug glance at the pink-haired kunoichi as she lowered herself into a sitting position against the opposite wall, holding back giggles as she went. "I honestly didn't expect it, someone go get the champagne--"

"Don't make me repeat it." The threat in his voice was blunt and unmistakable, though it occurred to the Haruno that he really had no means to back it up. A pang of guilt, only to be washed away when the blond spoke again:

"What would you do if I did, Sasuke?" Naruto's voice remained level as the amusement in his expression trickled across the corners of his very coy grin, and Sakura found herself grasping around idly for something to throw at the both of them. If this happy reunion turned into anything but that, she would see that both of them would be strung up as ornaments to hang up around the marketplace. She stifled another round of chuckles at the thought before returning her gaze to her teammates.

They were still grumbling lowly to each other, both of them looking extremely irritated. She would have thought that so many years apart under such... awful circumstances might have changed them, but the kids buried beneath each of their toughened skins never failed to show itself during their sibling-like bickering. The Haruno felt a pang of nostalgia as she realized that her old self would have most likely been nagging Kakashi-the-enforcer for them to stop like the little girl she'd been, but why call their old sensei when she could do the job so much better? She found her lips twitching into an unfeminine smirk.

"Both of you _cool it_!" she suddenly barked, "Naruto; stop provoking him. Sasuke; you two haven't seen each other in god-knows how much time, so would it kill you to at least pretend like you don't hate everything?!" She hissed the words dangerously, her thin fingers finally curling around a stray pencil laying beside her on the carpet in which she used to beam Naruto roughly in the head.

"_Ow_! What was that for, Sakura-chan?" yelped the Uzumaki, rubbing his forehead awkwardly as he inspected the pencil that had just recently bounced off his temple before glancing at her in mock distaste before breaking into a grin.

The pinkette mirrored the expression before her gaze flicked to Sasuke, who was smirking smugly at the wall in an effort to contain his amusement. Naruto followed her glance, and Sakura had only a second to react before a furious growl rippled from the blond's throat as he was suddenly lounging at the dark-haired culprit, grunting something incoherently as the Uchiha fended him off with an extended arm. The blond breached this defense quickly however and was able to land a fully-functional tackle, resulting in the two of them thrashing about before falling over each other onto the floor.

Sakura was laughing out right at the triumphant expression the blond was wearing as he rose to a crouch to survey his apparent victory, though she quickly choked on it upon noticing Sasuke's completely-blank one. She frowned, eyes darting over him until they picked up the sudden rigidness in his flat position, and the fact that he hadn't moved an inch upon the fall, where as Naruto had continued to shake his shoulders like the lunatic-best friend he was.

"Get off, idiot," Sasuke snarled abruptly through clenched teeth, though he made no move to push the blond away with either of his unused arms. The blond frowned and rolled to the side before getting onto his knees, confusion written clearly across his tanned face.

"Since when did you turn into such a sissy?" Naruto pouted blandly, crossing his arms over his chest as he surveyed his unmoving friend. Sakura watched mutely as the way he connected the dots in his mind became visible in the expressions upon his face. "Oh shit... My bad," he coughed out finally. Leave it to Naruto not to remember something so important that she'd told him five not five minutes previously...

"Idiot," Sasuke growled tersely, glaring sharply at the blond before returning his stagnant gaze to the ceiling.

"Shut up, both of you," snapped Sakura loudly, cutting off Naruto before he launched into another one of his retorts. First she addressed the Uchiha, who was now scowling at the blond from his unmoving position on his back across the floor. "You okay?" she asked quietly. When his glare flickered to her face and remained unchanged, she rolled her eyes before turning to the blond.

"YOU ARE AN UNBELIEVABLE IDIOT!" she screeched in his face abruptly, jabbing him in the chest with a finger. "I don't care if he was being an ass, you attacked him first and I am not happy about it. _Apologize_."

"Hey, don't get angry at _me_; you were the one who said he could try it--" he complained poutishly, throwing his hands up in mock innocence.

"Try _what_?! And whatever it is doesn't excuse you from apologizing for being the complete moron that you are--" she raged, eyes narrowing sharply as she was interrupted.

"You didn't exactly say try, but it was something like that. Chakras easy to use when you're angry and I thought this would do the job for Teme." He flashed another one of his grins, and Sakura resisted the urge to flat-out punch across the face.

Sasuke had sat up during all of this and was now glancing back and forth between the two of them with a cocked brow. "Chakra...?" he inquired lowly, eyes flickering to intercept the Haruno's gaze, narrowing slightly as they sought to coax the information out of her.

"Yeah, Sasuke-kun--" she started.

"What she _means _to say is that both of us want to see you do a Chidori; right now... Maybe over in the corner or something so you don't zap us, though," Naruto explained bluntly before jabbing his thumb in the direction of a corner behind them.

"Naruto, I was definitely _not_ going to say that! That move is too advanced and requires careful chakra control--"

She almost yelped when a terrible screeching noise erupted behind her and upon whirling found that the Uchiha was holding up one of his signature balls of crackling electricity, looking completely unphased and nonchalant as he stared blankly at the two of them.

"What's so special about it?" he asked dully, his eyes flicking from the jutsu's shrieking surface and to their faces, his brow arched. Both of his teammates were nothing short of gaping.

"H-how did you do that?!" stammered Sakura, recovering quickly as she gawked at the amazing, aquamarine static.

"Same way I always do it..." he answered almost defensively before letting the blue chakra seep back into the rough skin of his hand until it disappeared entirely."Why?"

"Y-your main chakra channel runs through your spine.... I've never seen anyone do that before, and on their first try no less.... That's not even close to normal, being able to manipulate chakra again is supposed to take months, if not years of training and practice.... What did you do?!" she glared suspiciously at him, searching his dark eyes for any sort of hint she could find.

"Nothing." His eyes told a different story however, but they were twinkling deceitfully and the corner of his mouth seemed to twitch into one of his smirks before quickly phasing into a calculated mask.

"Sasuke?!" she glared defiantly at him, refusing to give in to those eyes. He'd done something, she knew he had, and no amount of his obnoxiously-seductive habits was going to keep her from finding out whatever the hell it was.

"Tch." His answer coincided with the time it took her to finally click, and she rounded on the dark-haired boy with fire storming through her olive hues.

"You were practicing, weren't you?!" she yelled, an impulsive fury writhing in her abdomen as she sought to expose him. "I get it now; that's why your stupid cold has been lasting so damn long, why you've been sleeping every minute of the day... You're supposed to be healing, idiot! Not expending as much chakra as possible whenever a nurse isn't looking! God.... and that's what you were doing in the garden that day, wasn't it? You had Kakashi help you make a frickin' bunshin and had it help you get down there!" she was ranting now, and both of the males sitting around her were staring at her with blank expressions, though Naruto looked a bit more confused than Sasuke, who merely looked annoyed.

"You-are-an-idiot!" she punctuated every word with a sharp jab of her pointer finger to what body part her of the Uchiha her hand could get too; forehead, chest, bicep, stomach, cheek. She faintly noted that Naruto was chuckling in the background, though she hardly gave notice.

"Neh, Sakura--"

The pinkette delivered a swift jab to the blond's forehead before he could continue to speak and then turned back to prodding the Uchiha angrily.

"I don't need your input, Naruto. I was worried sick because he needed to train even through he _can't even walk_."

"I can walk fine--"

"Shut it, Uchiha." She gave one final prod to his shoulder, only to have Naruto push her shoulder at exactly the wrong time, throwing her off balance so that she plummeted down--

And face-planted against Sasuke's chest.

The Uchiha let himself blink as a momentary lapse in his blank facade, unable to find a suitable reaction to the fact that the kunoichi had fallen right on top of him, her face a mere hairsbreadth above his as she lifted it. If he'd been a completely masochistic person, he would have pushed her off without a second thought and then would have added a snide remark in just for kicks. On the other side of the spectrum, if he'd been a touchy-feely sort of person, he probably would have been all smiles and taken the perfect opportunity to kiss the lips that were suspended just out of reach...

Sasuke was stuck right in between those two polar opposites, and, unable to decide which path to go waltz towards, he merely seated himself right where he stood and did absolutely nothing except stare blankly into her large emerald orbs.

She flushed scarlet and leaped off like she was on fire before scurrying back a few feet looking absolutely horrified.

Naruto was chuckling loudly to himself. "Ahaha, sorry Sakura-chan... That... Hah, his face... _your_ face.... Haha, good times."

"It happened a second ago, idiot," Sasuke growled brusquely, throwing a haughty glare at the blond as he sat up.

"Stop calling me an idiot, teme," snapped the blond shinobi, throwing a glare at his teammate.

"Hn."

"THAT'S NOT EVEN A WORD."

"Guys, stop it..." muttered the pinkette quietly. Both men snapped their heads around to look at her and, to her surprise, remained silent. She found a faint smile fluttering across her lips. How Naruto's cobalt eyes seemed to swell as they met her gaze and he cracked one of his usual grins, and how Sasuke's onyx hues seemed to gain this little twinkling glint when she turned to look at him.... They were her two most favorite people in the world, and she would sooner die than risk losing either of them.

She smiled back at them before leaning forward and wrapping an arm around each of their necks affectionately. Naruto chuckled and leaned into it before jabbering away about something needless, and Sasuke... Well, Sasuke didn't resist.

And that was good enough for her.

* * *

**A/N:**

I love Team 7. With all of their Narutard-goodness. :3 Kishi really needs to have a reunion in the manga, starting now. As cool as Naruto-kun is, he's kind of hogging the spotlight; like _a lot_. And his over-epicness it boring me. D: I think the time calls for.... *drumroll* SASUKE & HEBI. Or Taka. Or whatever he's calling it now. o.o Really, is it that hard to come up with a name that sticks? Like, like team OWNAGE. *cough* Well, maybe not that exact name... but yeah.... .___.;;

I realize that I keep ending my chapters with sentences that would be perfect for ending fics.... And I'm using all of the good ones, which is really BAD, because when the ending finally comes, I'm not going to have any cliche lines to end it with!! TT____TT I'M SO ERIWy7OIEFi79NDALFDSNARFEN. *cough* :D

Sorry for this late update, I've had the worst and most busy week of my life. No joke. Science Fair projects were due yesterday, and I procrastinated until the last week as always, which I shouldn't have done this time. I was up until at least 1:00am every night this week working on it... God it was awful. ANYWAY~ It's done and turned in and absolutely beautiful and perfect in every way, and it sure as hell better get an A, or I will seriously be pissed. D:

SOFTBALL IS STARTING ON MONDAYYYYY! I'm so excited yet so incredibly NERVOUS. w;; eirounqbifwerbweirjnhucwkad. :D YAYY

Sooooo I've done several things today that were midly interesting. After sleeping in until noon, (which was wonderfully refreshing I must say,) I went for a really long walk with a couple friends and my dog, (who almost knocked over this pregnant lady which was EXTREMELY embarrassing,) and then I hung out with them for a while before going home to chill, (because everyone needs alone time.) Anyway, I started reading D-Gray Man, or whatever its called because my friend recommended it to me. Okay, repetiive much? I don't think I've ever read a manga that managed to repeat so many things so many times OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. I GET WHAT AN AKUMA IS DAMNIT, STOP EXPLAINING IT. Yeah, that was my reaction, basically. But the art was cool, and Allen, (though his name doesn't fit him at all,) is adorable so I think I might read a bit more before making a verdict. So after that I watched the first few episodes of Smallvile because it was on TV, and I learned that it is probably the most awkward show I have seen. Ever. So I stopped watching that and read a bunch of SasuSaku fanfics, which was really entertaining. And then I couldn't find any more good ones, so I decided I should probably get to updating me own.... So I did.

END OF MY DAY. :] Sorta. Anyway sorry for ranting, and thanks to those of you who actually read it. xD And if you haven't, don't feel the need to. *yawn* I probably will win something for "Longest and Most Pointless Author's Note Ever. :D ". Beat that. :P

As always, thank you so much for reading, and please REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Thank you!

--xxIndigo


	22. Mornings

**Howling Love :.  
Chapter Twenty-two xx Mornings**

* * *

Sakura let herself melt into the nearest chair, coughing in breaths as she let her jade eyes roll back to gaze unseeingly at the ceiling above her. Her gloved fingers were trembling slightly as she panted and she felt herself shiver as a single droplet of perspiration slipping down the side of her face to her jaw, where it sluggishly plipped onto the fabric of her shirt.

In the kunoichi's mind, she was horribly out of shape. Sakura had worked thirty-hour shifts at the hospital before without breaking a sweat, and now after a mere twelve, she was already feeling faint. Though she was still working longer than most, if not all, the other staff in the Konoha Hospital, she still felt embarrassed over not being able to work longer. She felt as if she was letting everyone down, and the hours she spent resting and accumulating more chakra were wasting patients lives who were on the line. She cursed herself for her low endurance before getting roughly to her feet, casting a quick glimpse at the patient she'd just recently stabilized before swiftly exiting.

Her hand automatically moved to swipe the clipboard listing all of the critical-care patients from where it hung on the wall outside when a hand suddenly snagged onto the back of her shirt, abruptly pulling her back. She angrily attempted to brush it away, but the sudden movement sent waves of dizziness rocketing through her head and she immediately took a step back, and she felt panic racing through her just as two hands shot out just in time from behind her to push her back onto her feet right before she would have fallen.

She wobbled for a brief moment n the balls of her feet before regaining enough balance to round - this time quite a bit slower - on her culprit. She frowned wearily, pushing back a few loose strands of damp, rose-pastel hair before cocking her brow at the spectacle.

"I would say thank you, but seeing as how you were the one who tripped me up in the first place, I think I'll skip it," she said articulately, olive hues swiveling about the person before her reproachfully.

"Better to almost fall now rather than collapse later," deadpanned the Uchiha sardonically, his perceptive hues flicking over her wavering figure for a moment before narrowing. The kunoichi attempted to draw herself up beneath his gaze, feeling strangely exposed as he looked her over.

"I was not going to collapse!" she snapped finally, though the usual vigor that would have filled her voice was null and void. An amused smirk spread silently across Sasuke's features as he watched her.

"Hn," he finally intoned, shrugged mildly as his arms folded neatly over his chest. The kunoichi rolled her eyes in an exaggerated fashion before turning back towards the patient list to see who was next on the list to be treated.

"So, why are you here again?" she asked dejectedly as she scanned the page. After finding her patient she returned the board to its holder and headed off down the hall towards said person's hospital room. The light and arid footsteps behind her alerted her to the fact that the Uchiha was following right behind. She turned her head to give him a quick, annoyed glare, stopping outside the door she'd meant to go to.

He chose to evade her question, eyes flicking to her face before fluxing slightly. "You shouldn't take another patient," he said finally. It wasn't a statement of opinion; it was a command, meant to be complied with. Sakura found an instinctive shudder ripple down her spine as she glowered rebelliously at him.

"I think I know the limits of my own body, Uchiha. Stop patronizing me," she quipped, glaring at him fervently before turning on her heels towards the indicated door. Her movement was interrupted, however, for the prodigy's hand had abruptly locked around her wrist, pulling her back. She turned on him furiously, emerald hues blazing.

"What?!" she shot at him heatedly. Sasuke scowled darkly before withdrawing his hand from her wrist to pull his thumb suddenly to his lips. With a fluid motion he bit into the tip before holding it out again, small droplets of crimson rolling down the length of his skin from the small mark he'd made with his teeth. Sakura stared at in mute horror as her eyes fluttered to his face in confusion.

"If you can heal this, I'll leave." His expression was blank and as unemotional as his voice. She cocked her head to the side before taking his hand gently in hers, inspecting the self-inflicted injury with wry contempt. She was trying desperately not to think about the little electric spark that flared through her veins with the contact, or how strangely soft the palm of his hand was in comparison to the rough calluses just below his fingers, and that impulsive urge to fling her arms around his neck that she was now struggling to qualm...

Then, carefully, she concentrated on that tiny little cut, gathering her energy as she sought to accelerate cell production around the break in the skin. Very slowly it began to close until finally the small wound was gone, and then she glanced up at the dark-haired youth with a glimpse of a smirk fading across her pale features as she fell into his chest.

"Mmm.... guess you... were right... this time..." she murmured into his clothing, succumbing to sleep just as his hands moved to prop her up again.

* * *

Sasuke watched in mute memorization as the kunoichi slumped against him, tilting his head to the side as he moved to prop her up again, only to find that her eyes were now closed, and her breathing was slow and relaxed in slumber. His eyes flicked from her porcelain face up to the surrounding hallway to find it empty, and a slight frown stretched across his lips.

There weren't any nurses watching.... meaning there was no one else available to move her, leaving him as an obvious solution. So in one easy movement he scooped up the pinkette's limp body bridal-style in his arms before ducking into the nearby stairwell, an amused smirk stretched across his lips.

Technically, he wasn't supposed to be lifting anything over five pounds for a good couple of months, then after that nothing more than thirty for a time. However, he estimated that the amount of strain creating a chidori was on his body was about the equivalent of lifting about 150 pounds, and since he performed that particular technique quite often, he figured that actually lifting weights wouldn't be too much of a strain.

And it sure wasn't bothering him as he plodded down to the first floor of the hospital with the sleeping Haruno in his arms, and for that he was somewhat grateful. He'd look like a complete idiot to have to put her down half-way, but chances are if that situation actually had come to pass, he would have kept on walking as if nothing was bothering him and hurt himself in the process.

The prodigy snatched a quick glance down at the sleeping medic as a tiny sigh passed through her lips, followed by a groan as he really looked to see the massive amount of stairs sprawled out before him. Slowly, carefully, he took the first step before gradually sinking into a steady - but safe - rhythm down the steep the first flight.

---

A soft yawn fluttered past the kunoichi's lips as she curled up into a tight ball within the throng of blankets piled around her. She pressed her face into the warm pillow beneath her head, kneaded the edges of a blanket with her hands until finally she blinked into an unstable awareness. After a series of small yawns and blinks, it slowly occurred to her that she was staring up at a darkened ceiling, and that the only light in the apparent room was that which streaked from beneath the door somewhere off to her left.

She made an attempt to sit up by drawing her knees up to her chest, noticing with a start that she was curled up on a very familiar piece of a furniture; the couch in her office. She squinted her eyes tight to see her desk in the dim light, and nodded with satisfaction when its hazy outline came into view.

So she was in her office.... But how did that happen...?

She faintly recalled working in the upstairs Emergency sector, and then... Her train of thought died suddenly when an all-too-familiar face popped up along the tracks. The always-joyful, (and this said with quite a bit of sarcasm,) Uchiha had made one of his sparkling appearances and, as she grudgingly remembered, had patronized her for a good amount of time before tricking her out of her shift by means of _knocking her out_.

She supposed blandly that he hadn't technically been the one to cause her collapse, but he certainly had known it would be the outcome when she tried to heal his finger, thus he had ample opportunities to stop her. Though she normally would have been furious at him for taking advantage of her like that, for some odd reason she didn't. If she couldn't heal something as simple as a cut without fainting, attempting to heal any serious injuries might have done a lot more damage on her own body. So, although he did it in probably the most humiliating and inconvenient way possible, she supposed he'd done it to protect her. And for that she felt oddly touched.

The kunoichi let a brief yawn pass through her lips before getting hazardously to her feet, pitching to either the side as she made stabbing attempts at keeping her balance. She felt an abrupt shiver run down the length of her spine and immediately swept the blanket back up from where she left it on the couch to place about her shoulders. She then took several tentative steps towards the door before cautiously sliding it open, only to be met with the now quite-familiar-feeling of bumping her nose into the hard plates of a very-male chest.

A soft '_oof_' escaped her as she stumbled warily backwards; almost letting go of her cape-like blanket as she finally peeked up at the person in the doorway.

"W-why are you always standing in doorways?!" she finally grumbled testily, rubbing the bridge of her nose with a feminine scowl directed fully at her dark-haired culprit.

"Hn." He shrugged nonchalantly, though his eyes were darting across her face perceptively, as if scanning to see if he'd actually hurt her. She quickly dropped her hand, feeling heat rise to her cheeks when she found that his intense gaze hadn't lifted, but had instead traveled up so that they bore right into the centers of her jade eyes.

The heavy silence was abruptly broken by an irritable grumble resonating from Sakura's stomach, and her hands instantly flew to the spot in embarrassment. Sasuke, on the other hand, seemed to think it was immensely entertaining, for he managed to crack one of his amused smirks at her, his dark eyes gleaming knowingly.

"Hungry?" he asked blandly.

She blanched at him, but couldn't quite bring herself to deny it. She'd skipped lunch the during her hospital shift, and had apparently fainted before dinner, so her stomach was in need of some sustenance. So she let herself nod cautiously before letting loose another small yawn.

"Put your blanket back." His voice was low, gruff. She frowned, pulling it tight about her shoulders.

"Too cold," she said quietly. He rolled his eyes before shrugging off his own jacket and thrusting it into her unsuspecting hands. She hesitantly took at it, staring at it mutely before peering up at him.

"...But won't you be cold?" she asked him quietly, her eyes carefully swiveling up to his face, an honest concern lacing the jade edges.

"....Just put it on," he said roughly as he turned towards the hallway behind him. So she carefully let the protective shell fall from her bare shoulders to the ground before gently slipping her thin arms through the coat's sleeves, feeling a breath catch in her throat when the warmth she found within graced her skin. The piece of clothing was obviously big for her, hanging unzipped down to the edges of her kunoichi-style skirt. It was made of a thick and deliciously-soft fabric, but had this underlying sense of durability to its jet-black fabric that made the kunoichi feel oddly safe. She numbly inhaled the shinobi's scent from where it clung to the jacket, grinning smally to herself before taking a step forward and following him out the door.

* * *

It was a cold morning, and the Haruno was eternally grateful for the thick jacket she had pulled over her thin shoulders. She walked with quiet, distant steps down the dusty main street, her head lowered as she inspected the dust laid out before her with unseeing eyes. The presence of the Uchiha beside her felt nothing more than a shadow, for his footsteps were no louder than hers, and his strides were fluid and easy, as if they took no effort at all. At times during their silent walk she would feel this fluttering urge to say or ask something, only to peer up at his face and see those deep, brooding obsidians and then quickly return her eyes to the ground at her feet with a faint blush appearing across her cheeks.

Her stomach gave another, painfully-loud growl and she blanched before stealing a glaze up at her silent friend, only to see him smirking off into the dimly-lit road ahead, eyes twinkling. She snapped her neck around to avoid eye contact and continued walking with brisk, irritated steps until a hand snagged abruptly about her arm. She nearly yelped in surprise, only to turn and see Sasuke staring at her grudgingly.

"What?" she snapped brusquely, brushing off his hand in her annoyance of having her sulking interrupted. The prodigy merely rolled his eyes before he took her wrist and pulled her towards the door that they're been standing outside of and into the room beyond it.

She found her face turning a delightful shade of scarlet at the room that greeted her found herself wavering in place when the delicious scent of fresh, home-made pancakes reached her starved senses. Her stomach gave another earnest grumble. They're reached a small cafe, and to Sakura's delight, there didn't seem to be many people seated within the maze of empty chairs and neatly-placed tables, meaning that food would come all the more faster when the time came.

Another small tug on her wrist pulled her back to the present, and she quickly bobbed her head and followed as the Uchiha lead her off towards a booth near the window. She hesitantly slid onto one side while Sasuke took the other and she blushed even more fervently when the silence began to worm its way through her abdomen.

"You know, I have plenty of food at my place--" She was stopped by a brief wave of his hand as his dark eyes flicked off to look out at the early morning road they'd just recently left, looking strangely confident. She frowned and leaned back against her seat, examining his placid expression before finally taking up the laminated menu waiting before her.

It took her about three seconds to locate the two things she was dying for, so she was able to return the menu to its original place fairly quickly in order to resume searching Sasuke's face for why he looked so.... not unhappy

"This was closer," he said slowly, eyes darting to intercept her gaze before narrowing slightly and dancing off to look as a waitress approached the table.

"May I take your order?" the blond woman asked in a high, sugar-coated purr. Sakura noted that it was most definitely not directed at her, but to Sasuke. The lady giggled loudly when the Uchiha turned to give her a rather annoyed look before snapping a wad of gum around in her mouth irritably. A brief sigh passed through Sasuke's lips as he gestured in Sakura's direction.

The woman turned slowly - almost reluctantly - in Sakura's direction, scowling as she brought up her frilly pen and her pad of paper. Sakura blinked, eyes falling to her menu despite the fact she'd had this specific order memorized since she was seven.

"I'll have a Chai-latte and a waffle. Thanks..." she stole a glance up at the waitress, who was busy scribbling away on her paper with her overly-glossed lips pursed. Sakura chose that moment to look out the window as Sasuke had earlier, jade hues slightly dulled in thought

"Anything for you, sir?" The woman's syrupy voice reached Sakura's ears once more, and she quickly stuffed the feeling of fury that was rising up in her throat back down. As much as she would have liked to sock this skimpily-dressed woman in the face for her attempts at seducing the Uchiha, it was not in her place. Nothing serious was going on in between Sasuke and her, yet she couldn't quite quell this since of jealousy...

"Coffee."

"Room for cream?" Sakura could almost picture the woman bat her huge eyelashes and stick out her giant chest as the words bubbled out of her mouth. She snook a slanted glance down at the almost-flat front of her own shirt, her face going pale as her gaze quickly twitched back to the window. Damn her slow development.

"No." The usual bland monotone resonated from the Sasuke's throat, and Sakura inclined her head forward, grinning sheepishly. It was so Sasuke-esk to go for straight shots of coffee without anything to sweeten it up; picturing him pouring pounds and pounds of sugar and cream into his coffee didn't really fit his character. The corner of his lip twitched as he scrutinized her coy smile, and she swiftly shook her head before eyeing the retreating waitress.

"What?" Sasuke asked gruffly, his dark orbs flicking from her hands which were coiling around in her lap to her face. She shrugged, eyes suddenly widening as another waitress - this time older and much less hooker-like - approached with two steaming mugs. She placed them both on the table before smiling and leaving once again. Sasuke slowly reached forward and took his, eyeing its dark contents before taking a reserved sip and replacing it back on the table.

"Coffee is terrible for you, you know," Sakura said finally, sipping her own drink quietly.

"Longevity usually isn't associated with the lives of shinobi anyway," he said vacantly, his gaze pivoting up to her face and locking there.

"And here I am, working my ass of in that hospital trying to change that..." She grinned wryly, sipping her drink as she watched the Uchiha thumb that one over.

"Tch. You'll only be adding to the numbers if you keep working yourself to death like that."

"Hey, there would have been a problem if you hadn't pulled your finger trick on me..." jibed the Haruno blandly, sipping her drink idly, holding back the childish grin of satisfaction that fought to brighten up her face when the taste hit her tongue. Sasuke stared at her for a moment, blinking in a slightly-perplexed fashion before taking a quick sip of his coffee and speaking:

"If you couldn't heal my thumb, than how do you expect to treat someone with more serious injuries...?" Sasuke asked blankly, eyes flicking to her face before dropping to his coffee as he swished it around in its mug.

"I would have-- Wait, I didn't heal your thumb?" she blinked in confusion. She was under the impression that she'd fixed it before collapsing, perhaps she was mistaken? She held her hand suddenly out across the table for his hand, an expectant expression plastered across her face. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Give me your hand for a second," she ordered blankly, taking his arm when he didn't offer it to pull out from beneath the table. He gave little resistance, though his expression with scrawled with reluctance as she slowly turned over the rough skin of his hand to get a good look at his thumb.

Apparently her healing hadn't worked. She felt her whole body go suddenly numb as she stared at the little thing that had turned in to quite the problem, feeling her lower lip trembling as she abruptly snapped it shut. The skin around the once completely-unmarred extremity had turned a nasty shade of purplish-red; a color which spread not only so that it covered the entirety of his thumb, but a large portion of his palm and several other fingers as well. The original cut itself looked nasty and unhealed, the opening inflamed and unnaturally rigid, as if the skin was being kept apart by an unknown force within. Sakura immediately lightened her touch, careful not to jar his hand around too much as she continued to inspect it.

"How... When did this happen?" she stammered finally, turning her horror-struck gaze on the Uchiha, who was taking another gulp of his coffee with an uncaring expression on his face.

"After you healed it..." he answered slowly, his hand instinctively jerking away from the kunoichi's touch when she prodded a joint with a bit too much force.

"I'm so sorry....All of the nerves are out of place too... I can't believe I did this..." The Haruno placed the hand carefully onto the table before slumping forward onto her elbow, expression set in a discontented frown. Her eyes suddenly flicked up to her counterpart's face, holding his gaze for a moment before darting back down again. Finally she reached out and took up his hand again, her own hands now glowing a resilient green. Though the original wound he'd inflicted had been minuscule, she'd accidentally used fighting-style chakra on him rather than healing chakra, thus reversing any intent she might have had going in. Infusing her fighting-style chakra into the wound had set off his own chakra system into a furious storm, leaving his hand to be the battleground as the two opposing forces fought it out in the intricate chakra channels beneath his skin. It appeared to Sakura that, although his own chakra had been the obvious victor due to being an overall stronger and much larger force, the small bit of chakra she'd tried to heal him with was continuing to worm his way through his hand like a virus, despite its earlier loss.

"Don't be. It doesn't hurt." Sakura glanced up at him as he spoke, wanting to believe him, but knowing full well that he was lying through his teeth about the pain. She continued to work on his hand through grit teeth however, choosing to wait until the giant bruise that had formed receded before speaking.

"Sasuke, I've been working at that hospital for six years. I can tell when a person is in pain, even when it's a stoic idiot like yourself," she said critically, picking out her words with a careful ease. Her eyes remained on her hands as she worked until she felt all traces of injury were gone from his hand. Then she rose her gaze and fixed it on the Uchiha's face, a small smile spreading across her lips. He was staring at her with a surprised expression, thus his paper-thin lips quickly twitched into one of his usual smirks.

She found herself smiling cheerfully at him suddenly. Amidst all of events that had taken place in both of their lives, it was nice to know that some things would never change. He would always be that silent, stoic prodigy who excelled at everything, and she would always be that pink-haired girl who never really stopped loving him.

That was just how it was.

* * *

**A/N:** I HATE THIS STUPID WEBSITE. "Check back in a couple of minutes" my BUTT, the log-in system was down for FOUR DAYS! MY GOD. I was sitting on this finished chapter all weekend and felt absolutely HORRIBLE about not being able to upload it, so thank god everything's up and running. :D

Okay, well I took all this time to type out a detailed description/list of all of the reasons behind why this update is so late. It ended up being about three paragraphs of endless jabbering that really could have been summed up in a few sentences. Though I planned to update last weekend, I managed to catch one of the worst colds I have gotten in a really long time, which left me miserable and sick for the duration. I was too out of it to think properly, thus didn't update. I had softball practice all week after that, despite the fact that its spring break, and a game on Thursday, (which we lost,) and have a frickin' LOAD of homework to do by Monday.

...So that is my summary. :D If you thought it was long... well... you're lucky I deleted the other version. BLEHHH worst vacation week ever. I was looking forward to skiing all week too.... TT^TT Oh, but I do have some good news; MY ART IS BEING FEATURED ON THE FRONT OF A MAGAZINNEEEEE~ It's like some weird children's magazine but its still AWESOME. Oh, I also hit the first home-run for my high school team on Thursday. That was funnnn. :D

**BACK TO THE TOPIC OF TEH FIC~ :D**

Thanks to the several anonymous reviewers that commented on that last chapter! You guys are really sweet, and though I can't say thank you in a review reply, know that it is much appreciated! :D And to be compared with the amazing works like Ripples and Color Theory was such an honor and I'm simply humbled to have someone say that. :]

Thanks for reading and please review!!  
--xxIndigo


	23. Snow

**Howling Love :.  
Chapter Twenty-Three xx Snow**

* * *

The kunoichi silently speared a lone piece of waffle that had strayed from its declining comrades and popped it into her mouth, chewing contently before swallowing as her eyes again darted up to sneak a glance at the Uchiha's blank expression. He'd been sitting like that for the duration, it seemed, as if he were nothing more than a god-like statue seated proudly upon an unworthy booth seat. He was so perfectly still, so annoyingly breathtaking - and he didn't even have to try. Just the way he held his head; turned slightly so that his striking jaw-line was presented to her with his chin slightly raised, head cocked minimally to the side. His coal-black eyes were staring distantly out the window into the brightening street, and would break that gaze only when they'd dance back to catch one of her stealthy glances. He hadn't been talking much either, though Sakura felt the overriding sense that he wanted to say something, but couldn't quite find the means of saying it.

She poked at her waffle idly, her lips pursing as a slight furrow formed between her brow in thought. She then proceeded to put down her fork and place her arms beneath the table on her lap, her full focus now laying squarely upon her companion's stony expression. He twitched a glance in her direction, eyeing her before turning his head to look at her.

"So.... How's life?" Sakura asked awkwardly, her useless attempt at small-talk feeling completely forced. Sasuke seemed to be mirroring those thoughts, for his brow was cocked, and his thing lips stretched into an amused smirk.

"Boring," he answered numbly. Sakura shrugged and took a reserved sip of her latte.

"Anything happen while I was wrapped up in the hospital?" she asked, her voice laced with just a bit of sarcasm. She hadn't gotten wind of any commotions in Konoha, and she'd asked a couple close friends of hers to keep an eye on both of her male teammates when she couldn't, and so far Ino and Hinata had yet to report anything. She knew that Kakashi was out on a mission, and Naruto was due for one any day now, but Sasuke... He was anchored pretty firmly within the walls of Konoha.

"No..." he replied, though Sakura caught a hint of him being slightly defensive. She raised a brow and eyed him swiftly, a girlish frown blossoming across her lips.

"Then I'd much enjoy hearing about how you obtained that broken rib that I happened to heal while I was supposed to be working on your thumb." She grinned smugly and folded her arms neatly over her chest. She watched with an amused expression dancing across her face as he froze, the way his mind racing for a response physically visible across his face. She watched as his shoulders finally caved in in defeat, and she cheered inwardly at the tiny feat.

"I was sparring with the Dobe," he finally said, his tone low and guarded. Sakura fingered the thin porcelain surface of her mug, watching him with a skeptical brow.

"I'm sure," she intoned coolly as she moved her hand up to brush a loose strand of rose-pastel hair from where it had drifted before her face. She neatly folded her arms across her chest expectantly, a show of faux patience as she waited for him to explain himself in detail. The Uchiha watched her complacently, smirking as he took another large gulp of his coffee.

"Hn. It's the truth," he replied smoothly. The rosette brushed her gaze up to intercept the prodigy's probing stare, finding her cheeks suddenly glowing a flushed scarlet as she quickly dropped her eyes to her cup. The way his eyes gleamed so confidently, that daring extra curve to his smirk.... He was most certainly lying through his teeth. Sakura found herself wanting to almost laugh at the irony; was it even possible to be such a good liar that people immediately know you're lying when you look as if you aren't?

Only with Uchihas, it seemed, was such a ridiculous notion possible. Or perhaps, just this Uchiha in particular. Yet Sakura figured there was really no point on calling him out on it, seeing as how she had some news she was eager to share with him, and having any sort of upper hand against Sasuke - even in conversation - was definitely a good idea.

"Whatever you say..." she allowed dismissively, waving her hand as she took a calm sip of her drink.

"It _is_ whatever I say," the dark-haired man replied easily, looking as if he were about to actually smile before he quickly caught himself. Sakura watched him and found a small grin twitching across her lips before she carefully brought her hands together in front of her, placing a very business-like expression on her face. Sasuke watched her with a guarded expression before cocking his brow, his own expression now expectant.

"I'm leaving tomorrow, Sasuke." She said it quick and simply with no change in expression. She had no doubt that he would have a problem with her leaving the village, and thus was trying to go about it as painlessly as possible.

He opened his mouth immediately to respond, but she quickly cut him off.

"I'll be gone for three days max; the hospital is running low on some supplies and I offered to go collect some. I'll be bringing a few medic-genin along for teaching purposes only, and all we'll be doing is hiking up to the Konoha herb gardens. Nothing serious. Nothing dangerous. Just thought I should let you know."

This was medic mode kicking in, and she rattled off the mission details like she would normally rattle of symptoms. She watched the Uchiha grapple with this information with a strangely-calm composure, feeling a strange feeling pulling at her chest when she saw his eyes searching her face with what could almost be called worry. Then he pulled himself together and took a gulp of his coffee.

"How long?"

"Two days max."

"Hn."

Silence ensued. Sakura took a few more stabs at her waffles, Sasuke stared dejectedly out the window. The kunoichi followed his gaze, gasping as she saw tiny puffs of snow drifting to the street, dappling the ground with iridescent white splashes.

"It's beautiful," she breathed, emerald hues widening as she watched in silent amazement.

"Yeah.... it is..." came the Uchiha's less-than-sardonic reply. The rosette's gaze flicked up to his face, and with amazement she realized that he hadn't been looking at the snow as he'd set it, but right at her. A strange warmth rose up through her chest, and do hide the scarlet blush that was creeping across her cheeks she quickly returned her gaze to the falling snow, finding a strange comfort in it's quiet descent.

* * *

Woah, I updated. o__o;; How strange... I'm sorry for the wait, and I'm sorry for it's shortness, but at least I finally got something done, right? Heh... heh.... well, I've got some mojo back, and after re-reading the entire story I sort of recollected where I was going with this fic, so I'm going to attempt to set it all on track again. :D Bare with me...

Anyways, I really love you guys! Sorry for making you all wait so long, and I hope it was (somewhat) worth the wait? Haha... next one will... I have big plans.... muahahaha.... lol

PLEASE REVIEW and THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!!!

-xxIndigo


	24. Blizzard

**Howling Love**

**Chapter 25 xx Blizzard**

* * *

There had never been a blizzard in Konoha before. Ever. School at the academy was canceled, the annual Winter's Eve festivities were put on hold, some missions were called off and the lower-ranked shinobi reigned in for safety. The entire village was covered in five feet of powder, a height that was steadily increasing as the storm continued to blow through. People were advised to stay indoors, and so they did.

Naruto and Kakashi came back a few days after the start of the storm, checking in briefly before hurrying to their appropriate dwellings. Sasuke, now over his cold and his spine moving right along in the process of healing, was living at his old apartment. He spent his days in the old place, arranging what little belongings he had as he liked, brushing up on some ninjutsu scrolls Kakashi had been kind enough to lend him, and of course his favorite; sleeping. The Uchiha was much like a feline in that way, for he completely loathed the cold and would more often be found under a blanket with a hot coffee rather than outside braving the harsh conditions.

His blond teammate came over to visit him once or twice, and besides a short tussle that commenced after a cheap-shot word was played in another epic game of Scrabble, they managed to keep it pretty friendly. This was quite the accomplishment in itself, although they purposefully avoided getting themselves into any more intense games (including snow-ball fights) due to the fact that they both knew how badly it might get.

The dark-haired prodigy was very much like a caged bird. He was unable to go outside due to his dislike of the cold, he wasn't supposed to be training at all because of his back, and the only thing, or person, that made him remotely feel better was away. She was the only reason he had let himself be dragged back to this god-forsaken village, and without her presence by his side, he was starting to second guess himself.

Yet, he could never bring himself to desert her. He _wanted_ her too much, and just the thought of seeing her cry sent ripples of anger coursing through his spine. He was going to protect her this time, that much he knew for certain. Although she had the physical power to crush mountains with a sweep of her fist, he still felt that she was a fragile creature, as if made of glass that might shatter at any instant if left unguarded.

It pained him that Sakura was still gone, now a full day past their scheduled arrival time. Although Tsunade had told him that the pinkette and her team had checked in via messaging hawk saying that they were safe and just waiting out the storm in a shelter, Sasuke still felt that something was amiss, although he couldn't quite place what exactly was.

So for now, all he could do was wait.

* * *

"Sakura-sama, my hands are cold..." whispered one of her genin girls, holding up an ungloved hand to expose the slightly-blue flesh of her fingers. The four-manned team sat huddled together, trying to keep warm around a tiny fire. They'd found shelter in a small mountain cave, still a good mile from the the peak and another three from the bottom. Sakura was in charge of the three genin's safety, but she was stuck between leaving them behind for a day to retrieve the needed herbs from the summit or just staying with them to ensure safety. The two boys and girl were young but had a lot of spunk and she had a certain amount of faith in their abilities. Yet leaving the three of them to survive on their own for any length of time was a risk that she was uncertain about taking.

"That's the beginning of frostbite, Chiro-san, you need to keep your hands over the fire, try to create some some friction...." said the rosette urgently, taking the young girls hands in her own as she channeled her healing chakra through the cold flesh. Immediately the blue faded to a healthy pink, and the girl's eyes widened in surprise.

"Arigatou, Sakura-sama..." she murmured. The two boys, Kira and Iruk, shifted restlessly, shivering against Sakura's shoulder.

"How long are we going to stay here..?" asked one of them tentatively. Sakura glanced down at his face, frowning as she made a move to stand.

"Not much longer. I'm going to go retrieve the supplies myself, I think. You three need to stay here, alright? If I'm not back in under twelve hours, I'm depending on you guys to call for help and get out of here safely. Be careful, you three."

The kunoichi bid them a short wave before turning towards the exit and hurrying off into the snow.

* * *

If you've never been in a blizzard, the logistics are pretty straight forward; a lot of intense snow, biting cold, and driving winds. Having to fight through snow drifts that are as tall as you are burns more energy than you can even begin to understand until you've tried it, and it is not uncommon for travelers to meet their ends on such attempts at trying to battle it through. To top it off as well, visibility during snow storms is terrible, so taking a single step can bring you face to face with an unseen cliff-face or crevice.

Generally, the only smart way to fight with a blizzard is in the warm and comfort of your home, preferably with a hot cocoa in one hand and some soup in the other as well as a blanket around your shoulders and a fire roaring in your fireplace.

Sakura found herself desperately wishing for one of those simple pleasures. As warm as her fur-rimmed cloak and snow boats were, she might as well have been wearing nothing with how hard the wind was blowing. The thick path that traversed alongside the mountain's face was piling high with powdered snow, but by concentrating chakra along the bottoms of her feet she was able to walk along it's top without sinking down, which made the trek a lot more manageable, though still troublesome.

It did allow her, however, to let her mind drift. Thoughts that she hadn't had the time to contemplate weaseled their way into her conscious, and all at once she found herself overwhelmed.

Relationships had never really been her thing, and she knew that. She had this way of repelling all male entities, and she couldn't keep them hooked for the life of her. She'd had plenty of boys in her life, but the minute she had started falling even remotely in love... Wham-o, they'd turn tails and run in the opposite direction. Every rejection, every trampled heart.... It was all one-sided, she had never felt that she had the right to complain or be upset about the failed attempts at love, so she'd always kept her feelings bent up inside in a trapped turmoil. It was exhausting and frustrating and horrible, but it was one of those things that seemed to happen so often that she was almost_ used _to it.

Her line of work didn't help much either. Sickeningly long hours and coming home every other day without the energy to even stand had a nasty habit of screwing with any date or hanging out plans, and thus she never really made any. She'd learned to accept it long ago.

So this was all new territory for the rosette. Was it sad, falling truly in love for the first time, at eighteen? She found her heart fluttering in sudden embarrassment.... Her first kiss, her first real everything... was with Sasuke?

Everything about him wreaked off polished experience... He was so perfect. He didn't made errors; no mistakes, no slip-ups, no nothing. The way he held her, the way his hands would roam across the contours of her body in just the perfect way... That gentle yet passionate way he would kiss her, that playful glint that would sometimes flash through his onyx hues. His smiles, his smell, his face, his body.

It was like something completely out of her league. He was too good for her, too perfect.... She didn't deserve someone like that. She would have gladly settled for average, and he was so far beyond that that she couldn't even begin to explain it.

_Sasuke-kun._

Sakura found herself wondering what he must be up to, safe and at home in Konoha. She didn't remember him ever being a big fan of the cold, so he was probably curled up inside somewhere with a coffee. Perhaps he was reading - he always had the most adorably-annoyed expression on his face whenever he was reading. Or maybe was with Naruto... The two of them seemed to be getting along better now, and she'd even seen them break a smile or two; a rare sight indeed.

If everything went according to plan, she'd see him tomorrow.

The kunoichi sighed, trudging wearily through the snow in heavy footsteps. She squinted through the driving snow-fall as she saw the outline of a large stone archway coming up a ways down the path, and she hurried forward, the prospect of her journey being over giving her a sudden boost of adrenalin. She passed beneath it and rounded a sharp corner, and was met with the sight of a small stone building.

Its walls were made completely of granite stones hastily cemented together, and it had a pair of steel sheets for a roof. Its door was a single slab of granite set on several hinges, kept shut by a heavy, iron lock.

Sakura fumbled with a key she had connected to a belt at her hip, slipped it into the lock, and pushed through, closing the door swiftly behind her to shut out the cold. She then turned to face the room, sighing with relief as it's deliciously warm air swept over her.

It was a greenhouse, kept warm and lit by a carefully-crafted genjutsu in the ceiling that portrayed the sky of a sunny, blue-skied day. The small building housed a variety of plants and herbs that required higher elevations to thrive, including the particular one that Sakura had been sent to fetch.

The kunoichi moved swiftly through the rows of greenery and kneeled before a plant on one of the ends, carefully checking its label to make sure it was the correct sample. She then took out a small pouch she had in her medic kit and began plucking the leaves of the plant and stuffing them inside, careful not to touch the stalk or flowers. When she finished, she quickly returned the filled pouch to her bag and returned the pouch to her kit.

She let out a relieve sigh before standing when a flicker of movement to her right caught her eye. She turned quickly, only to cry out in pain as something hard swiftly jabbed her in the pressure point at the base of her skull. She fell to the stone floor with a deafening thud, her consciousness blinking out before she even had the chance to react.

* * *

**A/N**: HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Here is my gift to you. Just kidding. I actually have a really good gift for you all you guys that I've had planned for a while and am just waiting for Christmas to unwrap. WANNA KNOW WHAT IS IT? Of course you do, and if you don't, you should. :] It's an - drumroll - ADORABLE CHRISTMAS FIC! I'm going to upload it on Christmas morning, so you guys should all check it out once it's up. Yupppp.

So as far as this fic is going, I do apologize for the slowness. I am, however, on my Christmas break, and thus might get some juicy updates in before I have to go back to real life. So be on the lookout! I love you guys!

Please REVIEW! THANKS!

-xxIndigo


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